HARDSHIPS
by Gyromice89
Summary: Charlene (Charley) Davidson, owner of 'The Last Change' Carage mechanic, finds herself targeted because of the land she owns. The poor, unsuspecting woman finds herself to be an intergalactic marketing object that's been sold to someone she never expected to meet again, or want to meet again face to face. ALL CHAPTERS (1-9) HAVE BEEN REVISED!
1. Chapter 1

_**HARDSHIPS**_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Rick Ungar's Biker Mice series, or any of the characters.

**Summary:** Charlene (Charlie) Davidson, owner of 'The Last Change' Carage mechanic, finds herself targeted because of the land she owns. The poor, unsuspecting woman finds herself to be an intergalactic marketing object that's been sold to someone she never expected to meet again, or want to meet again face to face.

* * *

><p><strong>PROLOGUE<strong>

**...**

Charlene Davidson screamed as she helplessly spun around like a tarp in nothing but blinding whiteness.

The legs pressing vice-like against the sides of her dark purple motorcycle were beginning to bruise under her black leather pants.

But as quickly as she had been pulled into the spinning whiteness, she was suddenly thrust out of it.

The garage mechanic grunted out in pain as she was pitched onto the ground, hard. The ground, which she very soon found out to be as uneven as it could get. She uttered a startled gasp as moments later her bike was tipped over sideways over the edge.

Charley instantly let go of the motorcycle and pushed away from it slightly to avoid getting crushed by her own machinery.

She rolled down the steep hill, all the while hearing her bike ''clunking'' against large or small pieces of stone.

When she finally rolled to a stop at the bottom of the rocky hill, she was in a world of hurt and coughing out the red dirt that she had accidentally gotten into her mouth. She grimaced in pain as she tried to take in a deep breath. Her whole body felt bruised and achy.

Her head still spun too violently for her to even attempt to get up and so she just lay there in a battered heap, carefully checking that her limbs were all in working order. They were, but every movement hurt.

When her equilibrium finally settled, Charley opened her green eyes and raised her head up to check out her new surroundings. What was revealed before her, shocked the mechanic to the core.

There was red sand and rocks all around. Volcanoes were either staying dormant or spouting out smoke and molten lava. Small whirlwinds were flying over the desert landscape that seemed to go on for miles on all sides.

And that was a likely truth.

These were surroundings that Charley had only seen once in her life until now. When she'd been captured in Limburger's Tower and taken to Mars by said alien's goons, Greasepit and Garbunkle. The two goons had been on a quest to save their boss from the hands of the Martians bent on putting him in front of the judge for his crimes.

But it hadn't been a spaceship that they'd used. The skinny, balding Garbunkle and the big, but stupid oil leaking brute, Greasepit, had taken her through one of the crazy inventions made by the demented scientist.

''Won't I ever get the change to ride a spaceship like any normal human astronaut?!'' Charley whispered to herself with frustration and sarcasm lacing her words.

Her vibrant green eyes took in the scenery of red sand and rock; the hills and the volcanoes.

She was really back on Mars!

Of all places that the horrible business-man could have transported her to, he'd decided on the one planet that actually had locals that knew the female garage mechanic!

Gritting her teeth in pain, Charlene gripped a handful of the very vibrant red sand in her fist and pushed herself to her knees. She then turned to face the direction she was sure her bike had fallen, groaning when she found the battered looking bike lying on it's side.

'' Well, great! I only hope that rough landing didn't inflict damage that I can't fix in a hurry. And that harsh tumble down this blasted hill, damn it!'' Charley grumped as she got to her feet and stumbled over to the purple bike lying on it's side.

She needed to get out of the open as soon as it was logically possible and figure out where she could find her friends. Or any Martian willing to help her in this unexpected crisis she'd ''landed'' herself in.

But as she put her hands on the motorcycle's handlebars, her ears picked up the sound of quick, almost silent footsteps approaching her from somewhere outside her line of vision. Her ears twitched slightly as she swiped her gun out of it's holster.

Spinning around, the human pointed the weapon at the approaching person.

But whoever it was that had sneaked up on her, he or she was certainly much quicker than her.

Charley uttered a surprised shriek as the thing pounced at her in a flash; it's big, strong, rough furry hands taking her weapon-arm in an unrelenting grip.

She squirmed frantically in the vice-like grip and tried to kick herself free, but the huge grey rodent with a long snout only laughed sadistically before smacking her on the side of the head.

''Ungh!'' Charlene gasped at the new pain. Stars danced in front of her vision, and that was when a smelly sack was thrown right over her head. Ropes were tied on her wrists and her arms were yanked all the way back.

So roughly that the young woman uttered a shrill shriek.

Her capturer only laughed more as the woman voiced out how she felt about the rough handling.

Charley felt tears of pain, anger and frustration stinging in the corners of her eyes. She had tried so hard to protect her beloved garage from the man bent on putting it flat on the ground. She had built her own special motorcycle from scratch once more with new improvements to its weaponry and design.

But even that hadn't done any good for her.

She had no back-up. No one to team up with her anymore.

And she had lost any sort of protection she might have had on earth when her Biker bro's had left to return to their home planet ten years ago. Well, not that she had needed protection at the time they'd left. She'd lived a pretty normal life for the next nine years until the Business Man Ronaldo Rump had begun to take over the streets of Chicago the very same way Laurence Limburger done when he'd still ruled over Chicago.

And now she was in an entirely different sort of dangerous situation somewhere that wasn't her home turf .

Charley let the tears fall from her eyes. No one would see her shedding them.

Not Ronaldo Rump who had condemned her beloved '' Last Change'' Garage.

Or the vermin that had captured her.

…...

Meanwhile, thousands of miles from the red planet in the windy city of Chicago a madly grinning business man wearing an expensive suit over his oversized rump, watched as the small building that had once stood on the streets he now owned go up in a huge explosion of dynamite.

Ronaldo Rump scratched his beardless chin in pleasure as the smoke and debry settled around the destruction site.

He had warned that annoying woman not once, not twice but three times to give him the property she had owned, but that little bitch hadn't listened to him. She had even built a surprisingly well-designed motorcycle with hidden weapons to fend off the people that worked for him if anyone so much as dared to try and enter her home with a signatured check.

But now, finally, the mechanic Charlene Davidson and the ''Last Change Garage'' had reached the end of their luck. The earthling and the thrice be damned bike were no longer there to annoy him or give him trouble in the business.

'' And hopefully, '' Ronaldo thought sadistically and laughed long and hard,'' she will find herself in very unwelcome hands soon enough. It sure pays off to do some business with the Sand-Raiders of Mars. Oh, Ronaldo, you sure are the greatest business-man on this planet.''

…...

Out in the sand-dunes of the red planet the bruised, miserable woman wearing black, ripped leather pants and jacket trudged on with her legs dragging from exhaustion and defeat. She kept wincing at the occasional prodding from the electric batton used by the vermin that had captured her.

Charley had no idea of the hardships that she would have to go through while in captivity, but she vowed to herself that whatever was going to be thrown her way, she wasn't about to be broken so easily.

The mechanic clenched her teeth under the sack tied around her head.

She would find herself a way out somehow. And the first thing she would do once she'd have her freedom was to search for her Martian friends and kick a certain Vincent Van Wham hard in the tail-bone for not making any effort to contact with her for the past year. And as far as she was concerned, Throttle and Modo weren't off the hook either.

Not one of the three goofballs, who's friendship she'd treasured for ages, had contacted her through the transmitter on Earth in twelve months. Not to tell her how things were going on Mars or to hear how terrible things had turned since Ronaldo Rump had taken over Chicago.

She had even began to steel herself to something she fervently hoped wasn't the truth. That her three ''Biker bros'' had forgotten all the amazing adventures the four of them had experienced together on Earth, and even on Mars. That perhaps her existence in their lives was no longer important to them.

That they'd left her all alone for good.

Like Jack had done!

'' Oh god... Jack!'' Charley thought bitterly as fresh tears dripped down her cheeks.

It had all happened six months ago, but the thought of it still sent a knife through the heart.

Her one and only true friend whom she'd known since high-school (and one who wasn't originally from another planet) had gone missing. Six months ago, after weeks of failed attempts to get in touch with the genius Computer Programmer through calls and emails, the extremely worried young woman had made the journey all the way to California to see with her own eyes that he was alright.

But he hadn't been alright. Not by a long-shot!

She'd spent a good part of the day trying to track him down in the usual places the man liked to go to in his free-time off work. Charley had even gone to Jack's apartment to wait for his return for well over an hour.

Finally, the immensily frustrated young woman had stalked her way to the California Police department where she'd eventually learned the harrowing truth to what exactly had happened to her good friend.

There had been tell-tale signs of a horrifying attack to Jack McCyber's apartment, and the Police Department had been baffled as to who could have been responsible in commiting such an attack, or as to where Jack's wherebouts could have been at the time.

So far this incident had been the one to ''take the cake'' for being Charley's most vile day of the year. Loosing her best-friend had made every other set- back that had happened that week seem so little. And she definitely showed it to the world as she'd stumbled out of the Police Department on numb legs and had hitched a taxi to take her straight to the airport.

Numb, confused, scared, angry and grieved had been her jumbled thread of emotions when Charley had stumbled her way back inside her own home in Chicago. Eventually she'd lost it completely in the comfort of her own garage. Needing to went the burning emotions of grief, Charley had uttered an awful scream and anything within the reach of her hands had been thrown across the room and into the opposite wall.

Finally she'd just curled herself into a fetal-position and cried until she was too physically tired to carry on.

'' OWW! '' Charley gasped out, breaking out of her thoughts as she felt another hard poke between her shoulder- blades. '' Damn it, bros! You thick-headed furballs! I wish you'd had the decency to make contact with me that day I learned about Jack...''

She gave a pained hiss at the sharp sting...'' so that I could have told you guys how much I missed you all.''

Fresh tears formed in her vibrant green eyes and rolled down her cheeks until making a trail down the side of her neck.'' That I MISS you guys so damn much!'' she whispered out loud, her dry throat protesting against the use of words.

…...

**End of Prologue**


	2. Chapter 2

**HARDSHIPS**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rick Ungar's Biker Mice series or any of it's characters

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 2<strong>

**...**

How long had it been from the moment she'd found herself back on the surface of Mars? An hour? Two hours? Three?

Charley had no idea. Time had lost all its meaning for the Earthian-woman after the first of many prods and pokes with the electric batton that sent small, stinging electric shocks through her.

She was virtually blind with the sack on her head, but nevertheless she tried to keep an awareness to her surroundings as she walked.

Her thirsty throat felt like sandpaper and the small lump on the side of her head was throbbing. _''Scratch that, everything throbs_.'' Charley groaned inwardly as she stumbled slightly on the soft, sandy terrain.

Minutes ticked by, and now it seemed that every five minutes a new silent figure joined the ever growing group surrounding her from all sides.

Charley was certain that there were at least ten of them surrounding her now, and that the darkness around her vision had suddenly become more opressive. The somewhat soft ground beneath her black, tough soled leather boots had begun to harden and drop slowly, too.

'' _Are we heading towards some underground hideout_? '' Charley thought with a deep frown on her face.'' _If that's so, then great! Just great!''_

The light footsteps of the group around her began to echo along the walls, and now it was definite fact that she was being dragged deeper underground.

Then, all of a sudden, the woman was brought to a jerking halt by the robust figure who's rough furry hand's had been dragging her along from the beginning.

Charley swallowed thickly, wincing at the feel of her parched throat. She was nervous.

She had no idea where she'd been taken to or who she would be seeing in this wretched place. She tried not to tremble as she stood there, her back rigid and erect.

Total silence was around her except for the very faint breaths of the forms surrounding her from each side.

'' ABOUT time you returned, lazy butts!''

Charley jerked her covered head up towards the voice that had broken the long silence.

The voice had been rough, hoarse and commanding. But still distinctively feminine.

She involluntarily jerked back a step when the figure who had spoken suddenly dropped to the ground right in front of her with only the faintest of '' thumps''.

Small, almost delicate fingers touched the exposed part of Charley's neck.¨The touch forced a visible, unpleased shiver go through the earthian. The fine hairs at the back of the mechanic's neck stood on end.

'' How very different.'' the rough feminine voice spoke again as she trailed her furry fingers down the smooth throat and down towards the human's collarbone.'' So very smooth and almost silky fine touch to the skin.''

Charley gave a hissing breath and snapped her head back sharply from the touching fingers. Her jaw was clenched so tightly shut that it hurt.

The feminine voice gave a short, amused laugh.'' Heh, heh, heh! And she certainly is feisty, too.''

'' Keep your hands away from me!'' Charley said icily.'' And tell your slimy goons to let me go!''

'' Oh, but that shall not be happening, girl.'' the rough voice spoke with a chuckle.'' Not when delivering your tight, pretty little ass will earn us a certain hefty price from the leader of the Sand Raiders.''

'' Ho, I wish I could see your pretty little ass right now and shove that mouth of yours IN IT!'' Charley barked out, her green eyes narrowed into slits behind her head-wrap.

Another feminine chuckle was heard, but this time it was echoed by deeper distinctive male voices. The sound was creepy, and it sent shivers running down the mechanic's back.

Slim but very strong fingers grasped her chin in a sudden tight grip, forcing a pained wince out of the human woman.

The smelly sack was pulled up and over her head, and green eyes were instantly assaulted by a bright glow that was the only source of light illuminating the large cavern she was standing in.

Rats surrounded her from all sides. She had no doubt now that they were rats!

Charley winced and blinked hard for a few seconds until her vision fully cleared and connected towards the figure standing in front of her, holding a batton that glowed with eery white light.

Whoever it was that stood before her was almost exactly her height, but with smaller hips. The willowy body was clothed in a very fine looking riding outfit made of what looked like black leather. The long, slim tail partially wrapped around the figure's waist was also covered, but with what looked like metallic armour-plating tied with several leather straps.

She was wearing a shiny black helmet, with silver streaks, that hid her face features behind a smoky colored visor.

Charley could only stare riggidly at the figure that looked to be a small rat-woman, her green eyes narrowed and lips pressed into a hard frown.

'' Your life will quickly take a course from bad to what you earthlings call hell, girl.'' the rat said smoothly as she stepped closer to the human whilst tightening the grip on Charley's chin. Her other hand reached up to press a tiny button on the side of the black helmet.

The smoky colored visor retracted inside square compartments on either side of the head-wear.

'' That is, once that fat Sand-Raider makes you part of his woman-collection.''

Charley inhaled a sharp breath as she found herself staring at a pair of almond shaped eyes that were slightly narrowed and glowed with the coldness of a pair of well polished ice particles in the slight darkness of the underground passage-way.

The muzzle was hidden under the lower part of the helmet which was higher than normally seen on motorcycle helmets, revealing only the slightest of rich fur the color of rusty-tan.

But Charley was sure that the girl rat was smirking at her.

It made her angry. So very angry.

'' How dare you!'' Charley hissed out furiously, her expression so withering that if it had been possible to do, that look would have killed the rat on the spot.

The rat-woman regarded her blazing expression with obvious amusement for several minutes before releasing the grip on the other's chin and turning to regard her trusted companions.

The party of male- rats had stood stone silent throughout her battle of wills with the earthian woman.

'' Let's head off and drop off this baggage of womanly curves to the Sand-Raiders and retrieve our well earned price.'' she spoke softly, but commandingly to the slightly amused male-rats who instantly snapped into attention.

Charley felt herself seething silently at the spoken words. A '' baggage of womanly curves '' was she?! A soon to be part of a Sand-Raider's women- collection?!

Her body shivered as the dark-brown, robust rat standing behind her slit the rope tying her hands behind her back and quickly jabbed her on the shoulder with his electric batton when she dared to shift slightly to regard him with a questioning look in her green eyes.

The answer became obvious when she turned again.

Another rat, a black furred one, was coming towards her holding a longer piece of rope in it's large hands. Charley guessed they were going to tie her up again, but with her hands facing towards the front, not the back.

She was going to become an amusement for the Sand Raiders?! Oh, hell NO!

A sound that almost sounded like a snarl escaped the auburn haired woman's lips as she suddenly kicked out with her booted right foot and tripped the rat standing behind her.

The creature let out a startled gasp as Charley's swift kick rammed into it's ankles and made him loose his balance.

A faint touch came down on the side of his thigh as the human's hand disappeared inside his weapon-holster. This earned a growl of frustration from the rodent when he realized that the surprisingly nimble creature had grabbed his lazer-pistol in one calculated move and jumped over his half- fallen body on her way towards wanted freedom.

'' _The commander is gonna chew me out later for being caught so out of guard._'' the frustrated rat growled inwardly as he nimbly jumped to his feet and chased after the human who was racing back the one-way passageway that would eventually lead out into the desert.

A shorter, willowy figure wearing a black and silver helmet suddenly appeared next to him as he ran, and the brown furred rat found himself cringing. '' _Oh, boy!_'' he thought.

….

Charley breathed heavily as she ran as fast as her bruised feet and legs could possibly carry her. She didn't know what she would do once she was out of the underground but being in the desert was now the better option. Better, at least, than staying with these rats or being taken to the Sand-Raiders.

SWWIPP

Charley gave a cry when a long, slim tail wrapped around the wrist holding the lazer-pistol she'd stolen and a booted foot was brought up to collide with the thumb she had wrapped around the weapon.

CRACK!

A muffled scream erupted from the mechanic's mouth as she heard the cracking sound coming from her thumb and felt the incredible pain that followed.

The pistol dropped from her injured hand, but she hardly noticed it happening when she was suddenly yanked backwards by the tail.

Straight into the path of an incoming fist!

A strangled croak was heard as the fist was driven into her middle. Just under the centre of her ribcage.

Charley instantly dropped to her knees, trembling and heaving for breath from having all air knocked out of her lungs.

The long tail of her attacker slithered off momentarily before coming back to wrap itself around both her wrists; bringing them together into a makeshift shackle.

'' Now, now,'' the willowy rat spoke coldly as she crouched down to Charley's eye-level,'' let's not try a stunt like that again today, eh, girl?!''

'' You... wish!'' Charley hissed out harshly, cradling her broken thumb. She snapped her head up shakily. '' I will... not be... given to anyone!''

'' Heh! You will be, girl.'' the rat-woman said malevolently as her hand shot forward to grasp the human's chin.'' And I...''

Charley's head was suddenly yanked up into a very uncomfortable position and a humming energy blade the size and length of an army knife was suddenly pulled out of a sheath attached to the rat's hip.

'' Will make sure that it will be done! And if you don't behave from this moment forward you will find out what its like to be cut and electrified at the same time.''

Charley flinched as the humming, glowing blade was shoved in front of her face. A middle-finger's width from her skin.

She didn't believe for one moment that being on the receiving end of that saw-edged blade wouldn't hurt like hell.

It would most definitely make her wish for the option of cutting her own throat open just to get rid of the pain.

But still, being molested by a filthy Sand-Raider was something she wanted no part of, either. Hell, she'd rather take the blade and the desert than be subjected to such humiliation.

'' Then why not just do it, you filthy rat?'' Charley gritted out between clenched teeth, taking a leaf out of her friend's, Modo's, book.'' Damage the merchandise enough to make your payer think twice about taking me as a part of his collection! Then you can just throw me out into the desert to rot!''

'' Tempting. Very tempting.'' the rat hissed out icily. '' But my buddies and I rather have the price. Besides, having you in the hands of that obese lard of a Sand-Raider will be much more satisfying than seeing you todder around aimlessly in the desert for days.''

'' I'd much rather take the desert, you bitch. Thank you very much!'' Charley said through clenched teeth as the rat she'd tripped swiftly knelt in front of her to tie her wrists together with a thick rope.

'' I'm sure you do,'' the rat-woman said with a malevolent smirk as she stood up in one fluent movement, her hands holding the other end of the long rope, '' but we will not give you the option to choose.''

The female rat then turned to address her so called ''buddy'' and said angrily:'' And you! Keep a better eye on the baggage this time around, you bumbling lazer-brain.''

With that, the female yanked on the rope tied to their prisoner's wrists with enough force to bring the human back on her feet.

Charley breathed in a ragged breath and winced as the rope dug deep into her wrists. Her thumb throbbed with pain and her eyes stung with frustrated tears, but now that her head was uncovered she would not allow these filthy rodents to catch a glimpse of them dripping down her cheeks.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter 2<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**HARDSHIPS**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rick Ungar's Biker Mice series, or any of the characters.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 3<strong>

**...**

Charley breathed out a hissing breath as the dark-brown rat pulled on the rope that shackled her hands together in a very uncomfortable manner. The pulling only added more pain to her damaged, aching thumb.

She squinted as she tried to peer through the darkness surrounding her, but she couldn't see well in the darkness of the tunnel.

And the only source of light coming from the batton held in the rat woman's hand hurt her eyes.

It was so bright.

She briefly glanced at the rat walking alongside her. A rat who wore a very disgruntled expression on his face.

And he wasn't the only one that looked less than satisfied being in the same space as she was.

A grim smile tickled Charley's lips as she recalled her several brave, but rather unsuccessful attempts to escape. The attempts hadn't accomplished anything except to create agitation amongst those holding her hostage.

The aggravated expressions they had thrown her way after every attempted escape had been as withering as looks could possibly get, and yet it had only served to amuse the woman from Earth.

She knew that her now constantly vigilant guards weren't allowed to dish out any act that would harm her.

'' _And risk loosing the price they will receive when they deliver me. I might have grown a very sadistic nature when it comes to dishing out amusement._'' Charley thought with a nasty grin on her lips as she kept glancing at the rats surrounding her, hoping to find one which she could rile up big time.

She knew it would be a painful decision. Perhaps even one that would leave her incapable of getting out of Mars alive.

But if it stopped their plans to take her to the Sand-Raiders and save her from having to live as a source of amusement for the rest of her life, (or as long as she could possibly survive as a prisoner), then she was ready to resort to willingly allowing the rodents to harm her.

The rat walking on the opposite side of the one holding on to the rope, noticed her grinning face and seemed all the more irritated by it.

Charley could see his hands balling into tight fists and it's tail coiling dangerously behind him. It's massive body was trembling with supressed fury and he looked just about ready to strike her across the face.

'' I swear if you don't stop grinning at me like that, human,'' the rat hissed out at her,'' you will get it big time and CRY once I'm finished with you!''

'' _Go for it, stinking rat!_'' Charley thought with a gleam in her eyes, smiling even wider when her ears picked up the low growl coming deep from the huge rodent's throat.

She'd hoped that her expression would do the trick and this rat would finally strike out at her.

And it was. The smile had done the trick.

Charley steeled herself for the ear-ringing agony that would surely be enough to slam her into the world of blissful unconciousness.

But just as the furious rat made to come at her with it's fist raised to hit her, the smaller form of the rat woman was suddenly between them in a blurr of grey.

She held the male- rat back out of striking distance, speaking to him quickly and urgently; soothingly stroking the coarse fur on his wide, muscular chest.

Charley breathed out a long, disappointed sigh as the wild, primal anger in the rat's expression softened at the touch and his tall, muscular body relaxed under the rat-woman's gentle ministration.

Her plan had been shot. And the ground under her boots had suddenly began to rise. Her luck was beginning to run out fast, judging from the rough, excited whispering breaking out around her.

Charley squinted through the darkness.

Stone stairs were beginning to loom in their path just a few meters ahead from their group of two dozen.

Charley strained her hearing to it's limits and was able to make out rough, amused voices from somewhere far above.

Raucous laughter and banging could also be heard.

'' _I guess this is it_.'' Charley muttered in her head, suddenly feeling the urge to be violently ill as she thought of becoming a toy to the nasty Sand-Raider lounging somewhere up there. Shivering, she pressed her shackled hands to her stomach.

She was already expecting to be treated with lecherous whistles and glances from everyone when she was finally presented. It served to increase her feeling of nausea.

The sound of everyones boots scraping against the stone stairs served as a clock-ticking away. Counting the seconds, minutes to the human's soon to be hell.

Light began to show through the darkness as the rats and the human-woman climbed the last of the stairs and made their way across the long hall towards a wide door that was twice as tall as the tallest of the rats in the group.

Charley felt her her hands start to sweat violently.

Her luck was quickly twindling into nothingness.

…...

**End of Chapter 3**

**Author note: Constructive criticism is welcomed.**


	4. Chapter 4

**HARDSHIPS**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rick Ungar's Biker Mice series, or any of the characters.**

* * *

><p><em><strong>CHAPTER 4<strong>_

_**...**_

_'' __It_ sucks _big time... __this year does_.'' Charley thought helplessly, sarcastically quoting Jedi Master Yoda's speech in the Star Wars movies ( Star Wars had always been the movie she'd disliked for the reason that it showed humans in a very unbelievable light) as she was pulled unceremoniously towards the large door at the end of the cavern.

No matter how much she tried to struggle or put her foot down on the ground to increase drag, the much stronger rodent was able to work through it with ease.

Charley shivered as she stumbled through the door and into the wide room lit with dozens of light fixtures on the walls.

Dozens of shaggy coated dog (or coyote) like aliens were either standing or sitting around grimy tables and chairs. All of them were laughing and drinking something that smelled strongly of some sort of ale.

The rank smell rising out from their brown shaggy furs was revolting and it did nothing to help the nausea welling up in her chest.

At the end of the room was a platform filled with many soft, leather cushions and on the cushions lay an enormous Sand-Raider with long yellowish brown, shaggy fur with a big gut and huge canine teeth that peeked out noticeably from the corners of it's mouth. He also looked to have one wooden leg instead of two real one; and around his neck was a collar with a huge, spiky metal ball.

He was looking over at her with an expectant, hungry expression in his yellow eyes.

Charley felt the fine hairs at the back of her neck instantly stand up again at the look he was giving her. She could only stare in supressed horror as the alien stood up with some difficulty because of his wooden leg and enormous belly and stepped over the many cushions on the platform.

'' I can see you've brought in my new doll.'' the Sand- Raider spoke in a gruff, gravely voice as he sauntered towards the group.'' And the dolly's motorcycle?''

Charley whirled around at hearing these words and quickly spotted her dark purple motorcycle being carried into the room by two of the rats.

She gazed at the shiny machine longingly, wishing she was sitting astride it again with weapons going off it left,right and center as she high-tailed out of this hell-hole.

And she wasn't the only one shooting longing looks at the machine. The rats carrying it seemed to be just as smitten with it as she was, but were able to suppress the urge to run off with it.

'' Good, good!'' the leader spoke gruffly as the bike was gently deposited on the floor.'' You've earned yourself a fine price for bringing everything that was asked. And you and your men will get to join with us for the feast, as well. Now...''

He rubbed his hands together eagerly, ''... with that said, get your butt into gear and hand over my dolly, girl.''

Charley uttered a hissing breath at the words and flinched as the slightly shorter rat woman stepped up from where she had been standing between two of her men and took hold of the rope held in the hands of the tall, brown furred rat.

The male-rat relinquished his hold immediately but decided to hand over a little parting gift in the form of a strong, groping hand on the human's round, feminine behind.

Charley uttered a shriek of outrage at the touch and whirled her head around to glare at the rodent who had the nerve to burst out into amused laughter over her reaction.

Oh, how she longed to get her hands free and punch that rat on it's long snout with all her strength!

And that rat wasn't the only bastard! The whole, spacious room had exploded with boisterous laughter from it's occupants.

''_ What com__p__lete assholes the lot of them_!'' Charley thought, seething by the time the rat-woman had gotten her self-control back and was pulling her determinedly across the stone-floor and towards the platform where the lecherous canine-creature was eyeing her hungrily.

He had something in his hands that suddenly had all blood drain from Charley's face.

'' _Oh... my... god_!'' Charley thought with rising horror as she recognised the dainty white and gold garment as the one shoved in her face the last time she'd stepped foot on this red planet.

This had to be the same Raider she'd had the unfortunate honor of meeting when Laurence Limburger had sold her as a slave! The stupid lingerie was much too familiar looking for it to be a coincedence.

And it looked like the alien was beginning to make the same connection as she was.

He regarded her with extreme shock for a short moment before a grin so wide split across it's muzzle that the green eyed human had to wonder how the corners of it's mouth didn't tear.

'' Well, well, well,'' it spoke with a gleeful chuckle, '' won't the wonders of the universe ever end! You won't believe how happy I am to set my sights on you again after so long, dolly.''

'' The universe must be experiencing a catastrophic meltdown right now,'' Charley spat out with narrowed eyes,'' for there is no way it would otherwise make me have such lousy luck this year! My name is Charlene, NOT DOLL!''

She tried desperately to not show it, but inwardly she was shaking from fear and hate. The fear had done the trick to overwhelm the nausea that had roiled in her stomach. Now she only felt overwhelming hate towards the walking horror in front of her, and at the universe itself for putting her in this situation.

She had managed to avoid complete slavery the last time she was on Mars but this time she was in deep.

'' Oh, but to me you are dolly.'' the Raider said with that huge grin on his muzzle. He trailed a sausage sized finger down the human's throat and collarbone before dipping it towards Charley's cleavage.'' Ahhh... but its such a shame though, that you've cut that beautiful auburn hair so short, dolly.''

Charley gave a wordless shriek and swiftly lifted her knee up to meet the bulbous belly of the lecherous bastard in front of her.

'' OOUUUFFF!'' the alien gasped out as the earthling's knee slammed into it's middle, right under the center of his ribs. His breath was completely knocked out at the strength of the kick.

'' IS SHE ABSOLUTELY OUT OF HER MIND OR WHAT?!'' the brown rat exclaimed in frustrated anger as the Sand-Raider staggered backwards and fell to his knees gasping for air.

He leaped over to where his commander was suddenly dealing with an out of control human. Charlene, or the devil knew what her name was, had grasped the end of the rope with her delicate looking fingers and was pulling violently on the taught rope. No doubt she had in mind to yank it straight out of his commander's fingers.

'' OHH...'' the Sand-Raider leader groaned out as he tried to stagger to his feet, his hand still tightly clutching his stomach; sensitive ears ringing from the cacophony of shrieks the human was emitting as she was being dealt into submission by the rat woman and one of her men.

He winced slightly at the loud noise when the furious brown-rat yelled out: '' DON'T YOU EVER KNOW WHEN TO QUIT, YOU LITTLE TART!''

'' EAT YOUR HEAD, BASTARD!'' the so called ''little tart'' was quick to scream out in retaliation as she bucked wildly against the two pairs of hands pulling her towards the center of the room where metallic shackles were waiting on the ground and dangling from the ceiling.

'' What a feisty little thing you are, dolly.'' the Sand-Raider leader gasped out as soon as he'd gotten his breath back.

He turned to the human who was by now standing in the middle of the room with metallic shackles on her ankles and wrists. The arms were raised up high in the air and her feet were firmly contained.

'' I should have known that you would try running off on me again, dolly,'' he purred out at the green eyed beauty who had by now stopped screaming but was seething at him silently,'' but this time you aren't getting away from me.''

_'' That's what I'm afraid of.''_ Charley thought wearily as the vermin dangled the white and gold colored lingerie in front of her face for a moment before handing the garment over to one of his smirking men.

She winced as the rat- woman glanced her way for a short moment, her blue almond shaped eyes showing no warmth or compassion. Then she and her '' buddy'' moved from the human's range and sauntered over to the rest of their close group.

Charley immediately squeezed her eyes tightly shut as the large, furry hands were placed on both sides of her collarbone.

RRRIIIPPP

The mechanic uttered a startled squeak as her thick, dark blue tank-top was torn off with bare hands. Followed by her black, lacy bra. Only her panties were left on.

Charley shivered violently as she felt a cold draft blow against her light- peach colored skin.

'' No!'' she whimpered out so quietly it went unheard with all the excited ''whooping'' calls from the spectators echoing in the room.'' No, no!''

…...

**End of Chapter 4**


	5. Chapter 5

**HARDSHIPS**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rick Ungar's Biker Mice series, or any of the characters.**

* * *

><p><em><strong>CHAPTER 5<strong>_

_**...**_

Laughter and conversation echoed along the rock walls of the Sand-Raiders hideout.

The voices of rats and Raiders were sharing stories amongst each other or were talking nasty about their woman or others woman like it was an everyday occurrence.

Goblets were clinking together loudly and there was the audible sound of sharp teeth crunching against something chewy or scraping against hard bone.

Charley shivered as she listened to the scraping and crunching noises while laying on top of the soft leather cushions with her wrists and feet attached to a heavy round rock that had metal shackles buried into it.

But really, the extra containment was unnecessary at the present time.

The auburn haired mechanic was much too spent to even think of trying an escape. She was as limp as a rag doll set aside after a long play-time. The green eyes were red-rimmed from all the tears she'd shed during the unpleasant, painful intrusion inside her private parts. The wide bruise coloring her left cheek was a punishment for her having dared to vomit on the Sand- Raider leader; after said alien had broken the forced kiss and pulled it's greasy, filthy snout away from her lips.

And the whole scene had only served to further lengthen her torture as the raider had whispered in her ear:'' I will come back to finish this moment of passion once I get this disgusting gunk off my fur.''

He had then sauntered off to clean-off his fur.

Charley circled her arms tighter against her chest and uttered soft, whimpering sobs as her mind kept replaying the feel of the raider's rough,scratchy tongue forcefully pushing into her mouth and exploring the skin there before pulling out and moving lower and lower...

She choked back an audible scream and buried her face into the pillow. She wished she could stop her betraying mind from replaying the entire, horrifying experience of having the thrice bedamned creature stick it's pulsing organ inside of her in it's thirst for lust.

The area still ached from the unwanted intrusion, and tears were coursing down Charley's cheeks as she rested her left cheek on the surprisingly soft leather cushion.

The light usually present in Charley's vibrantly green eyes had long since dulled as helplesness and loneliness kicked in.

She wished there was someone to hold her hand. To be there to give her reassurance and strength to keep going...

'' SSSSSSNNNNNOOOOOORRRRRRREEEEEE!

Charley almost jumped out her skin when the sound of deep, snorting snores reached her ears.

Glancing up at the bastard of an alien whom had violated her, she shook her head in disgust at the sight of him fast asleep in his chair.

'' _Damn it, girl! Yo__u were__ being god-damned selfish!_'' Charley thought miserably, gripping her short hair tightly with both hands.'' _I wouldn't want anyone else to go through with what I __had to go __through__.__''_

Scrrape, scrape, clunk, clink!

The human's head shot up at the sudden sound of metal scraping against stone. She turned towards the sound and was shocked to see the small but heavy metal table move forwards a couple of inches.

The movement upset the balance of the goblet still half-full with alcohol, and a plate balancing two rather large pieces of what looked like meat.

One of the pieces plopped off the platter and rolled across the table before falling off the edge with a soft'' ssplat''.

Charley blinked as she heard someone sniffing the air just inches from her left leg. Turning her head slightly, she found her green eyes widening as a delicate, furry snout came into view for only a second before disappearing again. Then a long light-grey, slender rodent's tail wriggled out from under a pillow and snaked around the meat that had fallen to the ground.

Then, as quickly as the tail had appeared it was gone.

But Charley could hear the sound of teeth digging into the fleshy goodness that it had snatched.

Drip, drip, drip!

SSSSSNNNNOOOOORRRRRREEEEEEEEE

Charley looked up wearily at the contents slowly dripping off the edge of the table, and was reminded of the grating thirst eating away at her throat. Wincing slightly from her aches, she angled her head up with some difficulty and allowed the liquid to fall into her open mouth.

The taste was extremely bitter and it burned as it went down her gullet, but at the same time it somewhat eased the dryness that had been scratching at her throat for so long. The bitter beverage also served to block out the horrible taste which the alien sex-addict had left in her mouth.

Taking another mouthful, she swallowed and relished the feel of the bitter liquid trickling down her gullet and into her stomach. Then, while licking her lips with her tongue to get any left over drops into her mouth, the human moved to inspect the area where the table had moved.

She almost gave a yelp of shock before recomposing herself.

She was looking straight down at a pair of hands holding onto metal-bars. Two noticeably furry hands attached to equally furry arms and torso. A cute, delicate furry face was looking up at her with an uncertain smile.

Charlene felt a small, saddened smile of her own tug at her lips as she noticed the two rosy red antennas peaking out from this poor soul's head.

It was a Martian-woman looking up at her from behind those bars.

She had no doubts about that.

Drip,drip,drip.

SSSSSNNNNNOOOOORRRRREEEEE

Charley shook her head slightly as she felt the dripping contents of the goblet splashing right on top her head. Grimacing she quickly glanced up at the goblet lying on the table and made a decision she hoped she wouldn't come to regret.

As quietly as possible, the human sat up and snatched the goblet off the table and set it down under the flowing zone of ale. Another quick snatch later and the other large piece of meat was in her hands.

Feeling rather lucky that the Sand- Raider leader had fallen into a deep sleep in it's chair, the human sniffed the meat cautiously before taking a small bite out of it.

She blinked in surprise when she found it to taste a bit like the squids you find on earth, but with a stronger taste.

'' _Could this be Saber-squid?'_' Charley wondered as she wrenched another chunk of meat from the leg, chewed it and swallowed before taking another bite.

She continued until she'd finished gnawing the leg clean, relishing the taste of the meat on her taste-buds, before reaching for the goblet she'd put under the dripping puddle on top the table. Taking one last big ''gulp'' of the bitter contents, Charley then carefully angled the wide rimmed goblet over the metal bars.

She let the contents very slowly drip into the Martian's waiting mouth, frowning sadly when she listened to the mouse thirstly take the ale into her mouth and swallowing quickly before coming back for more.

'' _I don't believe this!_'' Charley furiously ranted in her head as she noticed the frail mouse's thin arms tremble as she tried keeping her head up. _'' I don't believe this! That damn harem addict! Thrice cursed son of ***!'' _

Scrape, scrape. Clink.

Charley winced noticeably when the Martian uttered a small oath as her trembling hold on the bars faltered suddenly and she disappeared out of view.

A very faint '' thud '' could be heard at the very bottom of the cell.

Charley breathed out a sigh of relief that the Martian had most likely landed on her feet and not in a sprawled heap on the floor of her cell.

Moving closer until she was lying directly above the bars, Charley reached out between them when the female-mouse came back into view from the darkness of her cell and grasped hold of the other's left hand.

Charley could hear the mouse utter a sharp gasp at her sudden touch.

Making her expression as neutral as possible, Charley peered peered into the big, vine-red almond shaped eyes that held a look of confusion and shock. And maybe a small tinge of hope.

The human mechanic carefully set aside the now empty goblet without breaking eye-contact.

The two prisoners said nothing to each other for several long moments, not moving an inch. But then the long slender tail suddenly wiggled out from the hole in the bars and draped tightly around Charlene's left bicep.

The Martian pushed herself up in a sudden exertion of effort and this time it was Charley's turn to utter a soft gasp as she felt the very soft, fleshy touch of Martian-antennas against her forehead.

She could count the number of times she'd been exposed to this alien-species's mind-tricks and the feeling was always as bizarre as her very first time. But she had no fear of a long intrusion in her mind, for as quickly as her mind had been touched by another, the intruder was gone.

But it left a warm feeling in it's wake. A feeling that was very much mutual.

It was gratitude!

Charlene felt tears trickle down her cheeks and a tiny smile was on her lips as she leaned down on top the bars, not even noticing her own discomfort and tightened her hold when she felt the mouse trembling with the effort to hold her position.

She peered down into the cell to look for something she could use as a foothold for the young Martian.

A small noise, like a small squeak escaped her lips when her squinting eyes found a small crevice which she could easily reach with her leg. And it wouldn't put serious strain on it either.

Her excited squeak quickly caught the attention of the mouse who turned to peer at the human's leg which Charley wiggled through the opening in the bars and inserted a booted foot into a crevice in the stone wall.

A cautious climb later and the mouse had pulled herself up to the extra lever.

Charley held still as hands covered in velvety, light-grey fur grasped tightly onto her shoulders and the Martian's slender but strong tail wrapped around her naked waist.

A soft, whimpering sob was heard before the Martian pressed her face somewhere under the human's chin.

Charley found herself breaking down as well when she heard the soft whimpering sounds being muffled into her shoulder and wished, for the first time ever, that she had a tail of her own.

One which she could drape around this young Martian's waist and hold her up in more secure hug of comfort. Heaven knew how long this poor thing had been trapped in that wretched cell without anyone giving her the kind of comfort which she had so desperately needed.

Hell, she herself had dared to wish that there was someone in this hell-hole to hold her hand and give her reassurance and strength to keep going...

'' But now I'm the one holding someone else's hand.'' Charley found herself whispering without really meaning to speak out loud. She stroked the young mouse's long, blond hair. '' I'm not going to leave her to deal with this alone anymore.''

'' I'm not going to leave you hanging either, ''sister''.''

Charley paused in mid-stroke when she heard these words spoken.

'' Sister?!'' she thought, shocked, before a small smile tickled her lips at the endearment.

'' A sister. Yes.'' her voice rasped with emotion.'' Were in this together, girl. Definitely.''

The two weary, unfortunate souls stayed quite after that; both deep in their thoughts as they relished their born companionship.

For several moments it stayed thus without either of them feeling the need to speak.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter 5<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**HARDSHIPS**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Rick Ungar's Biker Mice series, or any of the characters._**

**_Author note: The idea of a new character just popped randomly into my head at some point while trying to write a new chapter. He may be confusing now as he will just pop out, but the story of this new character and his motives will be explained more in the coming chapters._**

* * *

><p><strong><em>CHAPTER 6<em>**

**_..._**

Clommp,clomp clomp.

Charley's ears twitched slightly when she heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching the platform.

It had become so very silent in the vast chamber some twenty minutes ago that she was sure that every last member of the party of rats and Sand- Raiders had fallen deep into '' La-la Land ''.

She raised her head up to see who was coming, still feeling woozy from having dozed off on the floor-pillows. And the soft, even breathing tickling her ear told Charley that her newfound friend and''sister'' had also drifted off and was still fast asleep.

But as she turned around to see who was coming in her direction a big coarce furred hand grabbed her by the shoulder and easily lifted the tall woman up in the air.

She gasped out, startled, and heard the faint ''clank'' of metal as Primer was pulled up with her.

'' Ahhhh!'' Charley gasped out, somewhat frantically, and crappled at the hand pressed against her nose and mouth. It was cutting off her air.

A string of quiet whimpers mingled with her muffled sounds of distress.

The person had a firm grip on her ''sister's'' tail which had been wrapped around the human's waist and left hand and now it's actions was making the Martian's head and back press painfully against the metal bars.

'' So what have we here?'' a rough voice groused in her ear, making Charley's ear twitch as the person's hot breath brushed against the skin. '' Two bedraggled females being sooo very close. What were you two up to anyway? Planning an escape? AH!''

He loosened his hold slightly when the human bit him on the palm, hard.

'' Its... none of your damn business!'' Charley hissed out through clenched teeth. Her eyes were watering slightly from the effort it had taken to breath. Her face had taken a red hue.'' And let go... of my ''sister's'' tail! Now!''

The overgrown rodent chuckled at her venomous words, but released his hold on the young female Martian's appendice immediately slithered out of sight into the darkness of the cell; as well as the mouse herself.

'' I find your ears fascinating, you know.''

'' What the hell are you...?'' Charley began to say but trailed off when the rat lowered her back onto the ground.

Her green eyes were wide with bewilderment when the rodent lightly trailed a fuzzy finger along the shape of her ear.

The clamp around her mouth and nose had long since been released.

The fur, which was a deep chocolate brown color, felt almost velvety to the touch, but a tad coarse as it teased Charlene's smooth, light peach colored skin. The gentle, teasing touch seemed completely opposite to the rough handling she'd had to endure only a short while ago.

'' I've never known that human ears are capable of moving like this.'' the rat spoke again as he touched the inside lines of the human's ear, making it twitch again.

Charley breathed in a shaky breath as the finger explored the skin. Her ears had always been very sensitive and the way this rodent was touching her was sending off tingles of true pleasure racing through her.

Her ears, very prone to twitching when touched, had made her self-conscious and she'd feared that people would laugh and ridicule her over it unrelentlessly.

Unfortunately some idiotic people in Elementary-school had indeed done so. She had been a girl that always wore somewhat ripped jeans, a sweater and a T-shirt and carrying the odor of motor-oil that lingered from having helped her father run the ''Last Change Garage '' in the mornings.

Couple that with the twitchy ears and she was a perfect specimen for others to laugh about.

The old fear of becoming the object for ridicule had made her self preservation kick in every time she needed to socialize with people.

Even around her biker bros she'd been careful to not allow them to accidentally discover this secret about her. The mice, bless them, would probably have found it an adorable discovery about her but self-preservation had always been an undeniable facture in her life and she'd been unable to shake it off even after she'd come to know Vinnie, Modo and Throttle as her best friends.

'' W-what...'' Charley had to swallow a pleasured moan as the rat's other hand moved to complete it's exploration on the mechanic's other ear''... the hell do you think you are doing to me?''

'' Trying to make you forget your earlier hell.'' the rat said as he leaned closer and pressed a kiss on the back of the human's left ear, this time forcing an audible gasp to escape the human's lips.

'' Stop.'' Charlie whispered as she tried to turn around and face the rodent, but the strong hands were keeping her firmly facing the other direction.

'' I want you to forget what happened earlier.'' the rat said as he pressed another kiss on the human's sensitive ear.

'' How is this any different than what that Sand-Raider did to me?'' Charley hissed out, closing her eyes tightly as tears stung the corners of her eyes. '' AH!''

The squeak escaped her lips as she was spun around in one quick movement and she was suddenly facing the rodent face to face.

Green eyes widened as they looked into the face of someone that resembled a Martian mouse, but with smaller, sharper ears that pointed back like a rats. His furry snout was slightly longer than a full-blooded mouse's and there were sharp canines poking out of the corners of the mouth. The antennas on his head were shorter and almost the same shade as Charley's light peach colored skin, but a tad darker.

'' But you can't deny that you found pleasure in my touch.'' the mouse-rat hybrid said huskily, running a finger across Charlene's lips.

Charley shivered at the touch of the fur on her lips. She couldn't, and wouldn't admit it out loud to this hybrid, that she felt no all- consuming disgust towards what he was doing. But what was this hybrid's motives?

Before she could figure it out for herself, the man had gently pushed her down on the mound of soft leather pillows.

She gave a shaky gasp when the hybrid sat down in front of her, his large form enveloping her easily. He was as tall as Charley's friend, Modo, with muscles just as large as the gentle grey giant's.

He could have easily crushed her like a bug if he were in that sort of mood. And yet why did she suddenly feel almost safe in his muscular arms that were coated with thick, warm coarce fur?

_'' Why?''_ Charley thought as the big hands trailed a path down her sides before moving to caress her exposed stomach.'' _This is madness...''_

She thought as his hands moved to cup her round breasts. She uttered a ''mewling'' sound as he trailed his tongue around her breasts gently before capturing her mouth.

Charlene shuddered against the feel of his mouth; the somewhat rough fur on the sides of his mouth tickled her and sent tendrils of pleasure running all the way through her.

She wracked her brain for an answer as to why she would enjoy this when it was clear that the hybrid was taking advantage of her. But she couldn't! It was madness that she was actually feeling more like a woman being held by a true lover.

'_' He certainly knows how to kiss_.'' Charley thought, moaning when he stopped kissing her lips. Instead his head was now angled down where her neck was.

The nipping of the buck-teeth on the sensitive skin was bringing out the sensation that she was a weightless feather; and her head was spinning from the sensation he was evoking from her.

_'' What are you doing... to me?''_ she thought, moving her hands voluntarily on top his broad shoulders and shifted over to perch in his lap.

She jolted slightly at the feel of skin against hers. He had half-stripped himself from his pants and she hadn't even noticed when he'd done it. She moaned at the feel of his hardened organ press against her lap, and yet she couldn't get herself to feel any hate.

'' _Why, I must be going completely mental by letting him do this to me.__'' _she shuddered.

Another soft ''mewling'' sound escaped her as the half-mouse's teeth gently grazed her breasts and nipples. She actually wanted to melt into his touch and completely forget the fact that she was amongst enemies and that she was a slave.

Tears ran down Charlene's cheeks as the large rodent's hands moved ever lower towards the black, lazy silk underwear that had become the only clothing not torn to pieces by the Sand-Raider leader. Her breath hitched in her throat as the fingers slid inside the dainty garment and began exploring what was inside.

The feel of them stroking her sensitive nub made Charley shudder uncontrollably. Stars danced in her vision as she tightened her grasp on his shoulders.

'' Oh...my god.'' she couldn't help but whisper out loud when he slipped three fingers inside her fold that by now was all wet. The fingers slid inside easily, and Charley immediately felt like fireworks were going off in her head.

Her lower- half was beginning to tighten and she was actually welcoming that feeling rising up in her. Unable to help herself, she reached out with her hand and enclosed it around the hybrid's hardened length. The feel of the skin wasn't ''alien'' to her; it felt warm like any other she'd ever touched in her adulthood.

_''But... _'' she though, giving the rodent a small, hesitant smile when she felt him flinch slightly before uttering a low, pleasured moan,'' _it certainly is the ''biggest'' I've seen.''_

'' Don't try and hold it in, girl.'' the hybrid spoke thickly, shuddering again as he felt the human begin stroking his whole length._'' Oh man, that feels so good...''_

He thought as he nuzzled the human's smooth neck with his muzzle before capturing her lips again into a searing kiss.

_'' __Oh god! E__ven if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to._'' Charley thought as she dove into the kiss. Her tongue roamed around inside him, and she could feel his brushing against her's in a dance of pleasure that seemed so '' alien''... ''

'' And yet... somehow so right.'' Charley whimpered into his mouth as she let herself go completely.

Her cry, which would otherwise have bounced on the walls of the cavern like a ping-pong ball, was muffled by the hybrid's mouth. She knew he'd let go, too, as she could feel the evidence on her fingers.

Their voices mixed together as they rode the rollercoaster of tangled emotions put on her so suddenly and unexpectedly.

Together!

...

Gyro smiled in breathless delight when the human woman collapsed against his chest. The beautiful creature had been reduced to a whimpering puddle of mush by his ministrations; just as he'd wanted her to but it had been surprising that she'd given something to him as well.

His heart was still racing from the experience and he tried hard to not loose control of himself; he felt the touch of her fingers still wrapped around him and it was sending tingles and shivers running through him. How he wished to be able to enter inside her right now, but he knew more than well that it was too dangerous for him to go all the way in his actions.

He glanced at the still loudly snoring Sand- Raider leader slumped in his chair, with a disgusted expression flashing across his face, before glancing at the others sprawled around the cavernous room.

If someone from that bunch of snoring fools found out what he'd been doing to the Sand-Raider's women, he, and the women would all be in deep trouble from head to tail! And he didn't want to endanger either of these ladies.

Ladies, yes; because that's what they both were. They hadn't chosen to be inprisoned by the Raiders and treated like toys for pleasure. They'd been forced!

'_'__' Hmmpph..__._.'' Gyro thought with a deep sigh,'' _like_ _I'm __any__ better than that __bulbous bellied __Raider. __I wiggle myself into their lives and...__''_

Gyro reluctantly released his hold on the trembling woman and unwrapped her slender fingers from his ''length''. Gazing into her emerald colored eyes he thought she looked the most gorgeouse creature with skin so smooth and soft against his hands.

So gorgeouse that he wanted her! He wanted her to be his forever, but would she want him?

'_' We are... so different __and she deserves more than I could ever offer her._'' he thought sadly, pressing one last kiss on her soft lips which were rosy red and swollen from all the kissing, he whispered: '' I will come back to you later, baby.''

He then slowly stood up from his spot on the cushions underneath him and pulled his pants up quickly and buckled his belt.

Turning, he slowly sauntered off towards the ''snoring'' bunch of Raiders and rats lying atop benches and tables with goblets still in hand or lay dripping on top the table.

Charley blinked hard as she watched the tall, muscular rat-mouse hybrid walk away from her. Her breath was stil uneven; her chest heaved from the feelings she'd been dozed with by this mysterious person.

Silence stayed doormant in the room,with the exception of the snorting snores coming from the people deep in'' La-La Land''.

Until...

'' Will wonders ever cease, Charley?! I think he really likes you, ''sister''.'' a soft voice spoke up out of nowhere.

Charlene uttered a soft squeak of startled surprise and clutched a hand to her chest.

'' Primer!'' she gritted out between clenched teeth as she whirled around to face the young mouse smirking at her from behind bars.'' Don't scare me like THAT!''

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter 6<strong>

**Author note: Constructive criticism is welcomed.**


	7. Chapter 7

**HARDSHIPS**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rick Ungar's Biker Mice series, or any of the characters.

**Author Note: **Constructive criticism is always welcome. Suggestions for the story are welcome, too.

* * *

><p><em><strong>CHAPTER 7<strong>_

_**...**_

'' Don't scare me LIKE THAT!''

Primer couldn't help but giggle at her '' sister's'' reaction to her sudden reappearance. Her demeanor was filled with curiosity as she regarded the human-woman who still looked very flushed and rumpled up by Gyro's ministrations.

The young female mouse could tell why the big, mouse-rat hybrid would have become so enamoured by Charley.

She remembered studying about '' earth folk '' in school when she'd still been a free mouse and could say that this human was far more beautiful than any of the ones she'd seen on the study- film. And the eyes were especially stunning; the hypnotically bright green eyes that gave you the vision of two emeralds blinking at you from the scarce light in the room. And they weren't just beautiful. Behind them was intelligence and strength of mind that Primer admired; but also compassion, kindness and loneliness. Fear and uncertainty, too.

Primer inwardly shook her head. She would have to tread this whole subject with Gyro lightly with Charlene.

'' Sorry about that, Charley.'' she said softly, a small amount of playful humour in her voice.'' Didn't mean to make you jumpy.''

* * *

><p>Charley raised her eyebrows when her name was spoken by the delicate looking Martian who had reappeared from the darkness of her cell. She tried to remember, but was unable to take stock of when she'd actually exchanged names with this young mouse.<p>

For a moment she wondered how the young Martian had figured out her name, but then she suddenly remembered the mind-tricks this female had put her under; thus the question was quickly scratched off her list.

But another question remained...

'' How is it that you know my name but I've no idea what's your's?!'' Charley said with fake cheerfulness. She couldn't help but feel somewhat upset that neither of them had made the initiative to really introduce themselves.

She uttered a long sigh, shaking her head slightly. '' _Maybe it all comes back to the whole '' being inprisoned for such a long time you end up forgetting that introducing yourselves was an important factor in making friends''. she thought.'' Or maybe its because when in captivity you end up holding the important things about you locked up in a mind-box that will not be opened to enemies.''_

_'' Or maybe its both combined. She trusts me, __I can tell,__ but __I doubt she'll __tell me about her former life __just yet__._'' Charlene thought sadly, looking down at the thin mouse who had made the effort to climb up the side of her cell to speak with her.''_ I can't afford to loose my_ _patience on her or she'll clam up.'' _

'' He likes you!'' the young mouse said again with a wry smile on her face.'' I can tell your trying to hide behind a facade of denial, but the truth is that you did enjoy him doing hand-sex with you, girl.''

Charley gave an exasperated groan and looked away from her ''sister'' who was looking at her intensely from behind the bars.

'' He doesn't like me.'' Charley scoffed out with a nervous laugh. She ran a shaking hand through her short, pixy styled auburn hair.'' He's a sex-addict! That's what HE IS!''

She laughed for a moment before saying: '' Besides, what was up with that harsh grabbing and pulling me up and then almost choking me? Not to mention you getting your head pressed into the bars?''

'' My name is Primer.'' the young mouse spoke up out of the blue, wriggling her hand up from behind the metal-bars. She gripped the human's hand tightly in her own.'' And yes, Gyro is a sex-addict and rough in his actions. But he really is a good guy once you get to know him.''

She smiled at Charley's incredulous expression and said: He means no harm but because he rarely socializes with others he comes out a bit socially- retarded.''

_'' Gyro_?'' Charley spoke in her head thoughtfully, looking away for a moment .''_ So that's his name.''_

_''_ You know, What Gyro did to you today is something he's done to me countless of times during my life in captivity.'' Primer continued, her vine-red eyes staring intensely into Charlene's emerald green ones when said human spun around to face her with a surprised expression.'' I might sound terribly uncouth when I say this, but the hand-sex he had with me really helped stave off the memory of '' bad sex'' with the other...''

'' Sex-addict.'' Charley cut in with a sudden smirk.'' And as I sit here sounding totally uncouth, I'll admit that I did enjoy it more than the ''disaster sex''with that bulbous Sand-Raider. Why deny it now after I heard your admission.''

Primer burst out laughing at the words, and Charley's voice soon joined her's. Their laughter, though stiffled by the hands they held over their mouths, could still be heard echoing against the walls of the chamber.

'' Oh, god!'' Charley groaned out as she finally stopped laughing. She brushed away the bangs of auburn hair that had fallen over her eyes.'' What a damaged pair we are!''

'' Yeah, definitely. I actually wanted the Sand-Raiders attacking my village to hurt me to the point where I could possibly avoid getting shipped off to their leader.'' Primer commented with a giggle, but her crimson eyes suddenly showed pain.

Charley nodded with a grimace.'' I tried that very same approach, too. I even tried escaping a few times but..''

She indicated her broken thumb that had been wrapped up in a soft leather strip..'' every attempt I made sent me back into the frying pan.''

Primer gave a sad grin.'' When I was taken forcefully from my village,'' she said softly,'' I faught like hell to get away but every attempt I made was futile. I was fifteen years old when I had to go through my first experience at ''rape''.

The corners of Primer's mouth twisted into a grimace and her snout received deep frown lines.'' The dog didn't even know how to kiss properly, let alone stick his organ in me and make me ''come''.''

Charley shook her head in disgust at the revealation that her ''sister'' had been but a child then. And thirteen years in captivity?!

Shaking with suppressed anger, Charley reached out and enclosed her fingers around the young mouse's who had suddenly begun to cry silently.

'' Earlier when I mentioned that Gyro can be socially retarded,'' Primer squeaked out miserably,'' the same thing could be said of myself. I no longer sugar-coat my words like I used to and I speak my mind bluntly. And that's a problem because I might insult someone without meaning to cause hurt.''

Primer leaned forward, pressing her face into the underside of Charley's forearms and felt the other's hands tighten around her fingers. The touch was so comforting. She felt safe and able to let out all the frustrated, hurtful feelings she'd bottled up in her mind for so long.

Never had the mouse been able to muster up the courage to open up to Gyro like she was doing with Charley. She hadn't felt comfortable admitting how she'd felt about perhaps not fitting in with society when it was undeniable that he might never, even if he tried, be able to fit in with Martian- society.

'' I'm... not the kind of w-woman my grandmother or uncle imagined I'd grow up into.'' she whimpered and pulled away slightly. Tears fell unchecked down her cheeks as she looked up into her ''sister's'' green eyes.

'' You are still their family,'' Charley said softly, reaching out to stroke Primer's thick hair that felt like a combined texture of silk and the sort of down- hair you find in earth mammals,'' and they'll still love you no matter how different you are from what they remember.''

The mechanic listened to the mouse utter a sniffle and watched her bury her head back in her hairless forearms.

_'' Poor thing._'' Charley thought compassionately, continuing to stroke the other's hair.

The less than enthusiastic reaction from the young Martian was enough to make the young human come to the conclusion that the mouse's family must have been very conservative, indeed, for Primer to be feeling so down-spirited.

* * *

><p>The two were so deep in what they were doing, that they failed to notice that their slaver had stopped snoring and was sitting up in his chair; was staring at his empty plate and goblet with a very disgruntled expression. His men, and the rats, had also awoken from their slumber and were waiting for his reaction with distinctive grins on their faces.<p>

They loved to see violence being dished out to those unfortunates not following the Raider's rules. Well, they loved the violence when his fury wasn't aimed at any of them.

Charley, who was unaware of the change in the atmosphere, was greatly startled when someone slapped a booted foot to the ground just a centimeter's width from her broken thumb.

Crack!

''AAHHH!''

Charley winced at the scream that erupted from Primer's mouth.

The boot- sole had come down on top the mouse's wrist and had evoked that scream of sudden pain from the grey furred mouse. She immediately released her hold on Charley's hands and tumbled out of view.

The human swiveled around to glare at the Sand- Raider leader, with the wooden leg, standing over her menacingly .

The Sand-Raider snapped his fingers together and Charley found herself being violently grabbed and pulled towards the center of the chamber amidst the raucous laughter from the ''peanut-gallery'' of raiders and rats.

Charley's jaw clenched when she found herself chained to the middle of the room the second time that day.

She could hear the somewhat rough but feminine voice of the rat woman in the crowd, but did not hear the low, husky voice of Gyro joined in the crowds mirth.

Somehow she found this fact extremely comforting; even as the Raider sauntered over to her with a grey bone held in his greasy, furry paw.

Charley was forced to look up when the dog's sausage like fingers went under her chin and lifted her head up forcefully until they were almost nose to nose.

''You actually thought that you'd be able to get away with having done this?'' the Raider said as he lifted the bone up to the human's eye-level.

The '' dog ''really stank something awful. Grease, sweat, ale and terrible dental health made for a very vile odor that made Charley want to gag all over this ''creature'' whom she'd found to have forcefully taken Primer's innocense when she'd still been a teenager.

Charley just stared at the piece of bone with a calm expression on her face, though inwardly she was feeling anything but that.

_''Freaking bastard!''_ she thought angrily.''_ Poor Primer was practically starving and I hadn't eaten since this morning._''

'' You really Think I'd let this matter rest?!'' the dog groused out as he ran a finger across Charley's rosy pink lips and laughing lowly when the human flinched violently.'' Well you are wrong, Dolly; that was my dinner you ate. My meal of delicious Saber-squid that is very hard to come by in these times. The Martians don't seem to care that Mars is being reduced to an almost dead, hot desert planet. Otherwise they would have already done something serious about it.''

'' _So it was Saber-squid_.'' Charley briefly noted the seemingly unimportant fact, before opening her mouth.

'' Well, unless you haven't noticed, stinky,'' she groused out, unable to hold back a biting retort,'' even us sex-slaves have to eat sometimes so that we don't wither away thanks to your staveless appetite for ''fun''. And as for the Martians not doing anything, your dead-set WRONG! THEY ARE TRYING TO SAVE THEIR HOME- PLANET THE BEST THEY CAN! SO STOP TRYING TO HINDER THEIR EFFORTS IN EVERY TURN AND THINK ABOUT ACTUALLY HELPING THEM INSTEAD!''

Her shouted words, heated and laced with sarcasm and bitter contempt, had the Raider suddenly seething with anger at this female Earther who had had the nerve to insult him every time she opened those beautiful lips of her's.

Their home planet?! Their's? It wasn't just the mice that lived on Mars! It wasn't just those wretched rodents that owned the planet!

And how dare she suggest that his people should make the effort to help the Martians when it was their kind that had driven his people out of the land that was once theirs, and into the wastelands where they'd became the dreaded Sand-Raiders.

His kind, and the rats were ''trash'' in the eyes of the Martians.

The leader's yellow eyes smouldered as he suddenly gripped the human's chin tightly between his fingers and ignored the shrill, pained shriek in his sensitive ears when he yanked the woman's face closer to his.

'' You are one feisty creature aren't you dolly?!'' the Raider spat out maliciously.'' But your ignorance towards the Martians is stunning. Trustworthy, fun loving Freedom Fighters?! Bah! The Martians history isn't all flowers and good-will, Dolly.''

Charley felt her heart slam into her throat at these words. What did she know about Martian history? What had Throttle told her? Or Modo? Vinnie?

She had to swallow hard as her throat constricted.

She knew nothing to note about the Martians history and now she had to wonder what sort of '' contemptive'' feelings the mice held towards ''other kind'' that shared their planet. Was it really the mice that decided to get rid of competition for food, water and shelter, or was there something deeper that brought down the ''anvil'' and sealed the hate between the three races?

She could lividly remember the day she'd first met the Biker Mice from Mars.

**'' A rat?! My mama raised ''no stinking rat! UNDERSTOOD?!''** had been spoken with such steely anger that it had brought shivers running down her spine and raised the fine hairs at the back of her neck.

She had been honestly scared of Modo back then. And it had been one of the reasons why she had been only a hairs-breadth away from smacking Throttle across the face with a crow-bar when he'd approached her, asking if she'd been hurt.

But before Charley could tentatively enquire what the Raider knew about the past history between the different species, the said Raider released the hold on her chin and swung the grey colored bone up and then across the mechanic's left cheek.

An audible ''smack'' was heard when the bone made contact, and the force of the hit violently jerked the human's head to the side.

'' UNH!'' Charley moaned at the new, sharp pain in her cheek and neck. She kept her head in the position it had been violently jerked and coughed out the small bit of blood in her mouth.

But the Raider wasn't done.

The leader snapped his ''sausage sized'' fingers sharply and immediately a long whip was handed to him by one of his goons.

Charley stiffened.

The whip had a nasty, sharp edge resembling a chain-saw and it had thin, very fine cords running from the handle up to the very tip.

She gulped as a feeling of dread washed over her.

Grinning maliciously, the Raider moved to stand to the human's left side and pressed a tiny button on the side of the whip-handle. .

Charley felt her limbs turn to jelly as the whip '' hummed'' into life with electricity.

Images of the hulking Pitt Boss she'd had the unfortunate honor to meet on Earth, fluttered into her head and she could faintly remember thinking (earlier that day) that getting cut and electrified by an energy-blade would hurt like hell.

_'' But an energy whip will be just as bad_.'' she thought, doubting that this insensitive brute would pull his punches, either.'' _Oh, god this has to be ... the worst day of my life.''_

Sweat was beginning to drip down her face; her widened emerald eyes were locked on the crude weapon as it was lifted up and above the Raider's head

The moment it swished down, Charlene pressed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth…

BZZZZ, SNAP!

THUD

The room was suddenly ricocheting with the sound of Charley's agonized scream as the whip lashed across her bare back, grating, burning and stinging as it penetrated through skin like a knife through butter; drawing blood, and yet cauterising the wound at the same time.

'' CHARLEY!'' a familiar, distressed voice cried out from under the platform.

_'' Primer_.'' Charley thought, recognising the young Martian's voice.

Gasping, almost sobbing from the burning pain in her back, she turned her eyes towards where she had heard the mouse cry out her name. Through the tears swimming in her vision, she could see that Primer had climbed back up the side of her cell and was now watching on with a very pained expression on her face.

'' Primer...'' Charley spoke out, her breath hitching in her throat somewhat. She knew that the young mouse would hear her even with all the rauceous laughter in the room,''... get out of sight.''

Swallowing hard as another sliver of pain snaked through her open wounds, she said more firmly: '' This isn't over yet and you know it! I don't want you seeing the rest, okay?!''

There were tears in Primer's eyes now, sliding down her eyes and dampening the soft fur of her cheeks. She seemed reluctant to do what she'd asked of her as she gripped the metal bars in a death-grip.

'' Primer,'' Charley spoke, with some exasperation leaking into her voice, '' listen to...!''

But she was cut off by the Sand-Raider's bellowing laugh.

'' Well, well, well. Guess I wasn't just seeing things when I woke up to the two of you whispering, Dolly.'' the Sand- Raider spoke maliciously as he lifted the buzzing whip above it's head. '' Seems you've managed to find a friend.''

Charley winced, almost tasting the bitter contempt in the villain's words.

'' Why not let her watch this.''

'' NO!'' Charley ground out through clenched teeth.'' She doesn't have to see this!''

'' Stay where you are, Martian,'' the Sand-Raider said, not listening as he lifted the hand holding the energy-whip,'' or the third time won't be the last!''

'' PRIMER, DON'T LISTEN TO... AAAHHHH!''

'' CHARLEYYYYY!''

The peanut-gallery of on-lookers were suddenly focusing their cruel laughter on the young mouse banging and pulling on the metal bars that prevented her from getting out.

_'' I'm sorry_. '' Charley thought in despair, her breath hitching in her throat. Pushing aside the pain, she focused on the young mouse who wore an expression that matched her's; like she could feel the grating, burning pain in her own body.

Charley's vision swam, making it tough to focus but she couldn't miss the look on Primer's face switch from pained to seething fury. The narrowed eyes looked darker than their usual shade and her small snout was bared; her teeth showing.

'' Primer, Go!'' Charley insisted firmly, locking her eyes with the young Martian just as the Sand-Raider raised the whip a third time. '' GO!''

But she wouldn't budge. As much as Charley had wanted to spare the young Martian from seeing the rest of the torture, her efforts had been for naught. Primer wouldn't listen to her.

Turning her face to the left she focused on the Raider smirking down at her; her own face baring as she steeled herself for the last onslaught of pain that would come soon enough.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter 7<strong>

**Author note: To**** those who wondered, the female mouse is Rimfire's twin sister and Modo's niece. I just wanted to picture her with different colored fur and eyes.**


	8. Chapter 8

**HARDSHIPS**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rick Ungar's Biker Mice series, or any of the characters.**

**Author Note: Constructive criticism is always welcomed by the author. Suggestions for the story are welcome, too.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 8<strong>

**...**

An hour had past since the bloody torture in the Main Chamber had ended.

Primer had been unable to tear his eyes from the injured human as she was carted off somewhere by the Sand-Raider leader's goons after she'd passed out from the last whip-lash delivered.

But now the young female mouse had no idea where exactly she'd been taken.

Unable to do anything but wait out for news concerning her '' sister's condition, Primer silently sat in the corner of her cold, dark prison with her knees pulled up and her chin resting on top of them. She was crying silent tears that dripped down her cheeks and onto her knees.

Click! Creekk!

Clomp, clomp

The opening of the squeeky dungeon door and the approaching footsteps had Primer almost flying to her feet. The light from a torch immediately brought light into the hall, making the young mouse blink slightly in the sudden brightness.

Gyro walked along the hall of the dungeon with Charley's limp, battered form thrown over his wide shoulders in a fireman's carry. Opening the door of Primer's cell, the tall mouse- rat hybrid slipped quickly inside.

Primer only stared at him silently, the remains of the seething fury still visible in her features. Her wine-red eyes were still narrowed, her round ears pulled back flat against her head. Her tail flicking violently from side to side.

But she calmed down somewhat when she noticed the somber expression on Gyro's face as he closed the door behind him with his long tail and very gently lowered the human's immobile form on the hard floor beside Primer.

Said mouse immediately scuttled closer with a worried look in her eyes.

'' She's got some bad whip- marks on her back from the beating,'' Gyro said in a low voice as Primer bent forward to put a trembling hand on the side of Charley's neck,'' ...''

Primer visibly winced as she was reminded of the horrors she'd witnessed back in the Main Chamber.

''... but the bleedings stopped.'' Gyro continued.'' It looks bad but I've made sure that the wounds won't become infected.''

He turned to stare at Primer who met his ruby-red eyes evenly. There was silence for several minutes as they just stared at each other. Then...

''You know that the sand blasted Raider ran his mouth about the history of what happened centuries ago between the Martians, rats and Raiders, don't you?! '' he continued with a small grimace at the word '' rat''.

Unlike the Martians that would definitely brand him as half-rat, he saw himself as not quite either of the two species.

'' The rats and Raiders have no antennas which they can use to teach their children, or childrens children history the way your species can. The people who lived during that plantacious era are long gone, but their memories, hopes, pain and despair were safely locked in the memories projected to their children and those that came after. ''

Primer uttered a long, suffering sigh at the hybrid's words. As usual, trust Gyro to use a cryptic message to voice his thoughts. The message was all too clear, though. She's heard him speak like that too often to count, and she was definitely not a simplist.

'' You want me to mind-walk with her.'' Primer concluded in a quiet voice, clenching her hands into fists.

'' Once she wakes up, she will ask about the obsessive hate that exists between the three of the dominant races of our planet.'' Gyro said in his gravely voice.''I'm sure of it. I know enough about humans that their a rather curious, but wary species when it comes to learning that there is life on other planets.''

Primer stared down at Charley who's chest was rising and falling as she breathed in and out slowly, her face relaxed and mercifully pain free.

'' She won't be waking up for a while yet,'' Gyro continued, '' and I know you are as curious as I am to find out how she will react to knowing about the true history of Mars's inhabitants. Besides...''

Gyro's voice turned a little softer. '' It would do you both good to get this matter of ''not knowing'' settled as soon as possible just in case it starts to crate on your new sisterly bonds.''

Primer's hands relaxed slightly as she took in deep, even breaths. Her wine-red eyes were clouded as she thought over what Gyro was asking of her; he probably wanted Charlene to continue to trust her. And to perhaps... trust him, too.

Gyro stepped forward and hesitantly lowered a large hand on the other's thin shoulder; he could feel the younger mouse begin to slowly relax at his touch.

'' You can do it, girl.'' he said encouragingly.'' You are a very talented mind-walker; you showed that with me. It will not harm her, but help her understand.''

Squeezing Primer's shoulder one last time and thoughtfully glancing down at the beaten up human lying beside his '' little-sister'', the half-mouse walked out of the small cell, closing the door behind him and locking it up with a key.

The light-grey furred female stared after him for a moment longer, but turned her attention back to the unconcious Charlene once Gyro had disappeared completely into the fork of the hall leading out of the dungeons.

Swallowing nervously, Primer closed her eyes and concentrated. She breathed in and out for a short minute, allowing her body to became relaxed and unwound.

A soft glow immediately began to radiate from her vibrant red antennas as she began slipping into the mind-walk. Her hands searched the human lying unconcious on the floor of the cell. Finding her, Primer very gently lifted Charley's upper body in her lap and leaned forward to bring their foreheads together.

She probed gently, finding a very weak resistance when she touched the human's concience. She pushed against the resistance, reassuring the other that she was safe; that it was a friend touching her mind.

'' Hey, Charley.'' Primer said softly when she felt the resistance weaken and then wane altogether.

Her own ghostly figure was suddenly surrounded at all sides by swirling whiteness that seemed constantly moving; like the wind in a desert.

'' Primer, that you?'' Charlene's voice sounded around her; the voice holding some confusion.'' Wh-why are you... in my head?''

Primer felt no urge to laugh at her ''sister's'' question, even though the human's description had been fairly accurate. She really was inside Charlene's head; well, her own concience that is.

'' Its just my mind taking a walk with your's, ''sister''.'' Primer explained.

'' Yeah, but why?'' Charlene asked curiously.

Primer smiled when she saw the swirling white mists begin to slowly take shape into the person she knew; although the person was noticeably naked like a newborn baby. The mist was still surrounding Charlene and sticking onto her pearl-white figure. It made her look apart of the whiteness itself.

The human walked towards Primer's ghostly figure which, unlike Charley's, stayed apart from the mists like the intruder she was. An intruder with good intentions but an intruder nonetheless.

The human's steps were measuring and tentative. A wondering expression stuck on her lovely face.

Primer stayed where she was, floating amongst the swirling mist with an understanding smile on her face. She could well understand the other's wondering expression. Not all Martians could show themselves as a ghostly figure in someone else's concience, afterall.

'' I needed to explain you something.'' she said softly as soon as Charley stopped just outside her reach.'' Will you let me in?''

Charley nodded her head, looking completely relaxed as she kept her eyes locked with Primer's ghostly figure.

Primer reached out with her hands and layed them down on top the human's shoulders. She could feel Charley shifting slightly as she leaned their foreheads together and touched the tips of her antennae to her temples.

She pulled away almost immediately, drawing a guestioning, confused look from the human who hadn't expected to have it over so quickly.

Smiling vanly, Primer gently took hold of Charley's chin and lifted it so that she wasn't staring at her, but at the mist surrounding her.

A loud gasp escaped the human's lips as she glanced around at the mist that was no longer mist but something that reminded her of a black canvas with images beginning to slowly appear; blurry at first but quickly becoming more clear.

'' You were the key, Charley.'' Primer said softly as she watched the human's awed expression flitting every which way.'' I just needed to touch you again and project the images into you for this to happen.''

'' And what exactly do you want me to see, besides this.'' Charley asked in a hushed tone of voice as the image of Mars during what looked like its most glorious, plantacious time began to appear around her. There were so many beautiful flowers and bright colored plants and even small trees and bushes. And there was water! Actual lakes and ponds!

Tears blurred the mechanic's vision as she realized this was Mars in its former glory. Maybe even hundreds of years before her time when no human had built machines sophisticated enough to capture this amazing beauty. She wanted to touch all those lovely plants she saw growing on the surface of the Red Planet, and it saddened her greatly that it wasn't possible.

'' Our history,'' Primer said as she came to stand right beside Charley,'' the way it was shown to us years ago by our elders.''

* * *

><p><strong>END of Chapter 8<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**HARDSHIPS**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rick Ungar's Biker Mice series, or any of the characters.

**Author Note: **Constructive criticism is always welcome. Suggestions for the story are welcome, too.

* * *

><p><strong><em>CHAPTER 9<em>**

**_..._**

Charley gave a soft gasp as the wonderful images surrounding her turned from Mars's vegetation to something that looked like a small village filled with life; love and laughter and just plain joy.

The homes may have been caves, but Charley just smiled as she reminded herself that her own species used to live in caves back on Earth. Thousands of years before houses were invented. And it took hundreds of years for the buildings to even resemble that of the modern housing.

**_Hundreds of families were outside enjoying the day together. Some working, some playing._**

_**Small children were running amongst the flowers and vegetation without a care in the world; some of the teenaged children mock-wrestling in the soft earth amongst flowers. Their clothing, as well as the adults, were all made out of some soft, red-hued hide that wasn't recognisable to the Earthling female. **_

**_The children were being watched by their parents, and other individuals that were working at the long, massive fields, planting crops or taking care of the small plants already peeking out of the soils. _**

**_To think that adults and children of three different species actually lived in the same area sharing crops and water. And prey. And the children of the three species playing together not caring wether the other was rat, Martian or Raider._**

Charlene stood motionless in the cloudy space of her mind.

The Martians, Rats and Raiders being so tolerant of each other?! And the children didn't even seem to care that their playmates were of mixed species.

**_Then came a great shift in the red planet's climate that wiped out a very big part of the vegetation. Many of the planet's population perished when the food and water became scarcer and scarcer. _**

Sadness washed over the young woman as the beautiful, crop filled land begin to fade into a less plentiful place. Her green eyes gazed on with rapt attention as storms ravaged the lands, destroying the locals way of living and even killing off people.

**_The three species of mammals that used to live so peacefully together began to fight for the most plentiful parts of the land that still existed and provided water and life._**

Charley grimaced as she watched the land that used to not be soiled by blood was now covered with the essence of those who faught each other.

Some did it for the sole purpose to claim the land for themselves while the other half faught the other so that their wives and children would be protected.

Tears stung Charley's eyes as whole families were destroyed or children were left orphaned. Parents who lost all or some of their children in the carnage.

_**Small children were kidnapped by adults who needed a source of nutrition to feed their own young. **_

_**And in the wake of such cruelty towards innocents, the thieves crimes didn't go unpunished by those unfortunate parents who's children had been taken.** _

_C_harley wept quietly as she watched parents mourn the loss of their children. Their emotional suffering was very clear to the eyes.

It was horrible that some of these people had turned towards cannibalism and had tought their own children that it was okay to eat other people.

* * *

><p><strong><em>It took years, but finally came the age of slow recovery. The land began to regrow itself back. Plants began to appear from the soil in places it had been wiped out and crops began to grow. Animals returned to the areas they'd left when the climate shifts began.<em>**

**_But all was not well. Some of the sophisticated species continued their crusades to own the land for themselves. Acts of crime were still commited. _**

**_Children were still disappearing; leaving the distraught parents to mourn their young ones. _**

_**Then it was discovered that it wasn't due to any accident that the children were disappearing. The root of the problem had been those individuals that hadn't let go of their hunting-ways and were targetting those who couldn't protect themselves.** _**_All it had taken was to make the children believe that they meant no harm to them, and then as their trust was at its peak the massacre was put into motion. _**

**_The innocent children that had put their trust in the people putting up a facade of a reliable person found out in the worst way possible that they'd been fooled._**

**_This of course had fueled things up left to right with the three species blaming each other for the incidents. Finally everything became so bad that wars broke out frequently and the different species were now completely divided by anger, mistrust and blame. _**

**_T_****_he species with the better weapons and larger population was the one that kicked the others well out of their territory, not allowing them to return._**

**_The cannibalistic attacks on the children had turned the three different species against each other, and there was no turning back to how things used to be before the climate disaster changed everything for the people on Mars. _****_And it was quite obvious by everyones reactions, that having found those responsible for the latest crimes and executing them would not unplant the seed of mistrust, hurt and feelings of betrayel existing in the hearts of the people._**

_**Some of those crime-commiters had been Martian low-lifes that had targeted the children of Rats, Raiders and... even those of their own kind.**_

_'' If there ever was a small bit of truth to what that Raider spits out... then its definitely this! '' _Charley thought as she wiped away the lingering tears in her eyes with the back of her hand_.'' Martian history wasn't all '' flowers and goodwill.'' _

Now she could fully understand why her '' bros'' hated the other species that shared their planet. But as much as she didn't want to after everything she'd been put through in the course of less than twenty-four hours, she was beginning to feel somewhat sorry for the lesser species; the Rats and Raiders.

What goes around, comes around went the so called human saying; which was very true.

The hate that existed between the Martians, Rats and Raiders was like a wheel that kept turning a full circle and coming back again to stab them all in the back over and over again.

The Martian population weren't above all evil acts when it came to the way of living.

Of course, things had changed a lot from the day the mice drove the other species away from the area with their superior numbers and weaponry.

But the hate was still deeply rooted in the hearts of Mars's lesser population. And this had no doubt led to the Rats acting as if they were on the Martians side in the war, when really they were betraying their own planet's population by working for those stealing Plutarkians.

Charley grimaced, running a hand through her short auburn hair.

She knew the Mice had battled hard and long against the fish-like aliens so they'd be able to preserve their home planet that had hardly recovered from the damage done by the climate changes. Even forced to fight against political corruption that had been all about their spineless government willingly selling off land to their enemy.

And the odorful baracudas had went ahead to mine and strip the planet from almost all its natural recources and putting a stop to the Red-planets growth for years forward until the Plutarkians had finally been forced out with the dedication that had come from all their Freedom Fighters.

It had been joyful news to hear from Carbine that total destruction of her friends home planet had been avoided and the planet's regrowth had then been put into motion once more; speeded by the help from the Regenerator that Stoker, the former Commander of the Freedom fighters, had designed and built.

But then other predators had come to the planet. And this time it was cats. Cats!

The Catatonians had attacked the planets population and had flung the Martian population back into a War-zone as they sought the Regenerator for their own use.

_'' _Could Mars have been saved from the Plutarkians much earlier if all three species had been united together to fight off the planet-intruders_. _And would the war against the Catatonians be much different if the Rats and Raiders bothered to fight beside the Martians for real.__''Charley thought, gritting her teeth__.'' But no one bothered to make the effort to try and patch up the hate that's existing between the three dominate species. They just let it all fester.''__

It saddened the young woman that she would never see Mars in it's ultimate former glory other than in these memories Primer had shown her. But she hoped that the children born today and in the future would see this amazing natural beauty and be able to enjoy it to its fullest.

But she hoped to one day see Mars with lakes and plant-life that hadn't been there for years. That is, if she'd ever see any sort of daylight again and breathe in the sweet smell of freedom.

Primer and her both!

She hoped for it, craved for it to be possible.

Shaking her head slightly, she thought back to everything Throttle, Modo, Vinnie and everyone else had lost in the war that had dragged on for years.

_'' Modo sure had the right idea when he said politics stinks. War STINKS! And hell, business REEKS when it involves getting your own forcefully shut down by another's want for more land. Damn it!''_ Charley lamented as her thoughts made a wheel-turn to the magnitude of what she had lost.

The '' Last Change Garage'' had been her father's pride and joy, until his sudden death had swapped the ownership of the business to his only child.

But now that part of Charley's life, so unchanged for almost two decades, was gone! Completely wiped out in the split second it had taken for the dynamite to go off underneath the foundation.

She hadn't seen it destroyed, of course, as by that time she was already inside the vortex of white light transporting her to another planet, but she could well imagine it all happening.

Everything she had ever owned, and some of her father's treasures that Charley hadn't had the heart to get rid off had been decimated into tiny particles and then taken away by Ronaldo Rump's goons.

Charley's knees suddenly buckled at the last thought, and she slid down onto her knees. She felt Primer's hand squeeze her on the shoulder, but she didn't have the energy to turn around and meet her gaze.

She heard Primer saying something to her, but whatever the young mouse was trying to say to her was lost in her moment of deep contemplation.

'' No wait, I know why the hate between the three races wasn't put to rest! '' the woman muttered as the sudden realization struck her. ''Of course it all comes back to the reality that people dwell on the past and don't think of the now when its most needed. Its like that everywhere, it seems. On my home planet, and here on Mars.''

She turned around to talk to Primer but was greeted by absolute nothing except mist that was beginning to swirl around her again. Gasping, Charley looked around her and found that the clear image of Mars's history was quickly fading into the black canvas before it, too, was swallowed by the white mist.

The human was alone in her mind again.

Sighing sadly, Charley dropped her head and stared down at her hands that were beginning to fade.

Actually, she realized, everything about her was fading.

She could no longer retain her human form now that Primer had left her concience.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter 9<strong>

**Author note: I hope this chapter is worth the long wait. And thank you for all you readers.**


	10. Chapter 10 Of Dreams and Reminiscing

**HARDSHIPS**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Rick Ungar's Biker Mice series, or any of the characters.

**Author Note: **Constructive criticism is always welcome. Suggestions for the story are welcome, too.

* * *

><p><em><strong>CHAPTER 10<strong>_

_**...**_

Primer came to with a jerk and found herself staring at the opposite wall of her cell. Mind walking had the tendency to leave one feeling shivery and slightly dizzy; and so it was this time around,too.

Besides that, the shivering was made worse by her matted and shineless fur that had been severly weakened by years of malnourishment.

Sighing, and with her ears and antenna drooping from exhaustion, the mouse carefully pulled Charley a little closer for warmth and rested her chin on the human's shoulder.

Her almond shaped eyes flitted nervously towards the neighbouring cell, even as her mind was trying to tell her that there was no one there anymore. There used to be, but not anymore. Still, she hadn't forgotten the horrifying scene in the neighboring cell on that very day she'd been kidnapped, and brought to the Sand-Raiders underground hideout from the area where she'd lived with her family.

The memory of it still brought chills and goosebumps to her skin, and also a deep fear of a change of a repeat. To her. And to Charley.

''Come on, Charley,'' she muttered to the still unconscious human just before sleep took her as she slowly turned her head away from the other cell,'' I need you to wake up, for me. Please, I don't want to sit here alone.''

* * *

><p>Meanwhile at a very different location at the Freedom Fighters Underground Homebase Headquarters, a tall white furred mouse was squirming and flailing around in his hammock; his mind held in the throws of a very disturbing dream.<p>

Finally it all became too much for the Martian and he was suddenly tossed into the waking world with a sharp gasp.

He seemed a shade paler when he sat up in his hammock and his light-red, almost pink colored eyes were wide and staring.

Unfortunately, his movements had been made clumsy by his sleep addled brain and the poor rodent found himself tumbling unceremoniously towards the hard flooring of his sparsely furnished bedroom.

Thump! Crack!

'' OWW!'' Vinnie couldn't help but exclaim as the left side of his jaw '' thumped'' against his small bedside table upon his unceremonius landing.'' Man, that hurt!''

The Martian winced as he gingerly sat up and rubbed the side of his jaw. It was throbbing dully.

The blanket that had been brought down with him, slipped off his shoulders.

'' And what was that dream about, anyway?'' Vinnie grumbled as he thought back to the dream that had caused him so much discomfort. Nothing in it seemed to hold a clear picture to its meaning, but it had been filled with dread and fear; loneliness and despair, too. And the voice in the dream that had held such jumbled feelings...

'' Charley.'' Vinnie murmured, closing his eyes for a moment as he realized why the voice had sounded so familiar to him.

It had been his friend's voice. His friend from Earth, Charley (Charlene) Davidson, whom he hadn't communicated with for a whole twelve months now.

'' Damn, Charley-girl is probably furious with me right now.'' Vinnie muttered as he rested a shaking palm across his tired eyes.'' I better call her her tomorrow and make sure she is doing okay on Earth.''

''OY, Vincent, you alright there?''

The poor white Martian almost jumped out of his skin when the familiar smooth, gravely voice of his biker-bro, Throttle, drifted into his his ears from behind the door leading to the hall.

'' Yeah, Throttle, just fell off my hammock. But I'm fine!'' Vinnie was quick to call out with a grimace. His jaw was still aching.

'' You sure, Vin-man? It sounded like you fell off your hammock and hit something on the way.''

Vinnie rolled his eyes heavenward in exasperation and stumbled to his feet, picking up the pillow and blanket off the floor.'' Yeah, bro, I'm FINE. Just go back to sleep and stop bothering me, okay?!''

'' Right... try not to fall off that hammock again tonight, okay bro?!'' Throttle's voice sounded faintly sarcastic even though Vinnie really couldn't see the older mouse's expression.

'' Oh, hardy har har!'' Vinnie groused out, using one of the funny Earth phrases he'd heard on the TV they had back on Earth. '' It is to laugh.''

Vinnie hopped up into his hammock and lay down, his face set in a frown and his eyes uncharacteristically thoughtful as he still mulled over the dream that had woken him.

* * *

><p>Tick toc! Tic toc!<p>

Vinnie sighed tiredly, glancing at the clock on his small bedside-table.

It had been over an hour since he'd climbed back into his hammock to get some rest, but laying on his side was making his jaw hurt persistently. Which unfortunately was robbing him of sleep, too.

Tick, tock!

'' Oh, man.'' Vinnie muttered wearily as he carefully turned his head towards the other, bigger table in the middle of his lounge room. There was his jaw-brace and a bottle of fast-acting painkillers; and of course a thermisol-bottle that kept his water fresh and drinkable for a long period of time.'' Might've irritated the break in my jaw-bone. Cheese, this really sucks.''

Mumbling something unintelligible, he shifted positions again and closed his eyes. As much as it hurt to lay down right now he really didn't feel like getting up again to grab the blasted jaw-brace and the two bottles and then clambering back into bed.

'' Let this be the last time I forget the blasted contraption.'' Vinnie grumbled out as he shifted his head, gritting his teeth against the beginnings of a headache. '' And now my head hurts, too. Great, as if this already didn't suck!''

Tick tock! Tick tock! Tick tock!

It took thirty minutes; thirty long minutes, but finally the white furred mouse felt himself drifting to a very light sleep that was more like trance than real sleep. But at least he was beginning to relax.

Well, that was until he heard footsteps outside the door of his apartment. Some moments later it was opened and the heavy footsteps drifted closer to his hammock.

Vinnie sighed grumpily when he felt a pair of large hands slipping a familiar contraption into place around his jaw and fastening the strap behind his head.

'' M-Modo, what... ? Unh!'' Vinnie muttered out groggily as the bigger, smoky grey furred mouse lifted him up into a sitting position. He groaned as as light-headedness prevailed, making him lean forward slightly.

'' You are some case, Vinnie.'' Modo said as he put a steadying hand on the smaller mouse's shoulder. He could feel the other trembling slightly.

'' Shut UP!'' Vinnie muttered through gritted teeth as he finally stood up straighter. His red eyes were glaring up at his older ''bro''.

Modo just shook his head with a sigh. He guickly shoved the bottle of pills and the thermisol-bottle into Vinnie's slightly trembling hands.

'' Take the pills, Vin-man,'' he said firmly, '' so that you won't keep Throttle and I up with all the shifting.''

'' And what if I don't want them?!'' Vinnie ground out from behind clenched teeth, shoving the pills and bottle back at his friend. He couldn't help but feel irritated at having been woken up and forced into a sitting position when he'd finally thought he'd be able to fall asleep without having to swallow any pain-medication.

The movement cost him, though.

'' Oww, damn...'' he gasped out as the headache pulsing behind his eyes made itself known,''...it!''

He fell back with a hand pressed over his eyes and forehead.

'' You are some case, Vinnie.'' Modo growled with irritation finding itself in his voice.'' Too damn stubborn right now. Just take the stupid pills, bro, or do I have to shove them down your throat?''

'' NO!'' Vinnie immediately snapped, snarling slightly at the grey furred giant as he sat up and snatched the articles from the other's hand.

Modo just uttered an exasperated sigh as the white mouse shoved a pill into his mouth and swallowed it before guzzling in some water. His bro was being a knucklehead. More so then usual, but it was most likely the pain talking.

_'' Man, it shouldn't be this difficult to remember to put on that brace_.'' he thought as he watched the white mouse's eyes begin to droop from obvious exhaustion.

Reaching out he helped his youngest bro into a comfortable position on his side, knowing that Vinnie didn't like sleeping on his back. His ears twitched when a small, barely audible whisper of ''thanks Modo'', came out of the younger mouse's mouth before sleep overtook him completely.

'' Oh, mama.'' Modo muttered as he pulled the blanket over his friend. His large mouse ears twitched again when he heard Vinnie mumbling something about Charley-girl, sighed and went on sleeping.

'' Trust Vinnie to have dreams about our Charley- ma'm.'' he muttered as he quietly snuck out of his bro's room.

Once he'd stepped foot out he immediately noticed a familiar, tan figure leaning lazily against the wall with arms encircled around his chest. In his eyes, which he usually hid behind green field-glasses, was the obvious question which had yet to come out his mouth.

'' Motor mouth is sleeping, Throttle.'' Modo answered his other bro's unasked question.'' He must have cracked the side of his jaw on something when he fell off his bed. Like you thought. Didn't think to put on that jaw-brace and take a painkiller before climbing into bed.''

Throttle uttered a slight sigh of exasperation and put his shades back over his eyes.'' Sounds like our Vinzenso.'' he muttered wearily. He glanced briefly inside the dark room before turning tail and walking back to his own quarters.

Modo, too, glanced back through the doorway of their bro's room and found him sleeping soundly; his long white tail having slipped from the confines of the blanket and was lazily swinging over the side of the hammock.

Even though Throttle wasn't one to show emotions very freely except when it had to do with fun, manly pastime, Modo knew that the tan furred mouse had been immensily startled over the incident that had happened two weeks ago on patrol. So had he!

How could anyone not be startled at the sight of one of your bros free-falling to the ground from a high altitude after being on the receiving end of a well aimed blast from a lazer-cannon. Well, it had been ''Sweetheart'' that had been on the receiving end of the lazer fire but the resulting energy wave had knocked Vinnie unconcious and had made him loose his balance on the bike.

Luckily the cannon had been switched to a stunning mode, otherwise ''Motormouth'' wouldn't have been amongst the living.

Shaking his head, Modo quietly closed the door and walked towards his own room.

He and Throttle had seen the whole accident happen when it did and before his stunned mind had fully taken in what had happened, Modo had already been racing towards his friend as fast as his bike ''Lil Hoss'' could possible go with Throttle covering his tail from the enemies closing in on them.

He had scooped up his wounded friend, hardly taking stock of his injuries as he'd seated the smaller mouse in the front of his bike and was racing back towards The Headquarters with Vinnie's ''Sweetheart'' being dragged along by Throttle's bike who'd the tan mouse had named'' Lady''.

Only, the way Throttle had ordered him to clasp Vinnie's jaw between his large palm had him finally turn his attention to the white mouse's possible injuries; he'd done as ordered without question and with still keeping his eye fixed on the road ahead. But his stomach had clenched painfully when he'd felt the sharp edge of something that had to be a bone poking out the side of the skin on Vinnie's lower jaw, and the warm blood seeping from his mouth and the open skin.

What made his stomach fall even further was Vinnie suddenly waking up as their bikes were crossing over some rough terrain on their way towards the Freedom Fighter headquarters.

Vincent had uttered a distorted scream of agony which had Modo's ears ringing painfully, but the scream had been quick to change into a wet, weak cough as all the blood flooding his mouth made it difficult for him to breath. The coughing of course made him hurt even more and it had taken great effort on the grey mouse's part to calm him down to the point were he just lay limply against him on the seat of'' Lil Hoss'', his brow deeply furrowed in agony over every bounce and jostle their bikes had taken.

Modo climbed into his bed and lay down, pulling the thick covers over himself. He stared up at the ceiling for a long moment, still reminiscing what had happened two weeks ago

It wasn't often that their over-excited, hyper and their almost always reckless younger '' bro'' had gotten so severely wounded. They'd come to believe that the velocity atrocity was the best of their team when it came to escaping dangerous situations almost entirely unharmed.

Well, that belief had done a great ''belly-flop'' in the worst way possible; and he and Throttle had almost been driven insane with the Motormouth acting crazy for the better part of his recovery.

General Carbine had banned him from riding off with ''Sweetheart '' until his jaw had substantially healed and he could drive without worry of making the mandible fracture worse.

And of course the job of keeping the white mouse in line had conveniently fallen on the shoulders of Throttle and him.

Tempers had soon flared between the three of them more often than not and surprisingly it had been the always cool and in control Throttle that had stomped out of a room with the door slamming loudly behind him; leaving a very frustrated Modo to deal with Vinnie whom had been quite uncooperative about being cooped into the headquarters with nothing interesting to do. Well, in his opinion.

In a way, the grey mouse could understand Vincent's frustration to being confined to one place, but at the same time his sanity had been on the edge of falling out from having to deal with his younger bro's crazyness.

'' Cheese.'' Modo muttered as he finally closed his eye and snuggled into the blanket. '' Whatever dreams Vinnie's been having of Charley- ma'm tonight, I hope it doesn't repeat. For all our sanity and the sake of getting a full night's sleep.''

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter 10<strong>

**Author Note: I'm sorry about not having updated earlier. My studies have been on the top of the list until this time and the next update will have to wait, too. There is a big test coming up next week which I want to focus on so I can pass it.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 **

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Rick Ungar's Biker Mice series, or any of the characters.

**Summary:** Charlene (Charlie) Davidson, owner of 'The Last Change' Carage mechanic, finds herself targeted because of the land she owns. The poor, unsuspecting woman finds herself to be an intergalactic marketing object that's been sold to someone she never expected to meet again, or want to meet again face to face.

**...**

Primer groaned slightly as she pushed herself awake. Her back scraped against the wall when she sat up straighterand listened to the noise that had caught her attention.

Her sensitive mouse ears had picked up the telltale sign of Charley's quiet moans.

She was finally beginning to wake up.

With great relief over seeing her stirring, the grey mouse gently shook the human by the shoulder.

**'**'Charley! Come on, sis, its time to wake up now! Charley!'' she urged quietly.

...

Charley uttered a low noise, shifting slightly as she clawed herself back to the waking-world.

She could feel a pair of soft furry hands touching her shoulder, shaking cautiously. From the voice near her ear she knew it couldn't be anyone but Primer.

'' Hnnghh... ''sis...'' she croaked out weakly, reaching out with her hand,'' are you okay? Did those wretched dogs do anything to hurt you as well?''

Primer uttered a long, slow sigh of relief at the sight of Charley awake and talking. She gently grasped Charley's searching hand. '' No, they must have believed it was just you who'd eaten the Sand-Raider boss's Saber-squid. But Charley, how are you feeling?''

Charley was silent for a moment as she assesed how she really felt. Well, her back was in serious flames from the numerous lashings, and her broken thumb hadn't stopped throbbing.

She gave a hiss when her head gave a vicious throb when she moved her head and her cheek twinged .

'' Oww... well I feel like I've gone through one serious beating.'' Charley croaked through dry lips.

'' Well, you did,'' Primer said with a wince of sympathy towards the human,'' sorry to say. Your back's shredded and burned thanks to that electric whip.''

'' Thought so.'' Charley gasped out as she carefully sat up, hissing sharply when she felt the pull on her raw beaten skin.

She almost toppled over but was saved from hurting herself more when Primer gently pulled her against her side.

She gave a soft sigh and let her head drop down on top of the Martian's shoulder, smiling slightly when she felt the other's fingers comb through her short auburn hair before moving lower to massage the '' creak '' in her neck.

'' Charley,'' Primer said softly, ''I really did think you were brave out there in the face of getting whipped. But I also feel that you shouldn't have ran your mouth so foolishly.''

The young human noticeably stiffened at these word and the young mouse noticed it.

'' What are you...? Ah!'' Charley began to say but broke off with a sharp gasp when her raw skin gave an agonising twinge.

Primer gave a soft ''tsk'' and glowered scoldingly at her sister.

' You see!'' she said, fixing a firm glance in Charley's emerald eyes. '' This is what will happen every time you decide to fight the Raiders physically or with words. There is only so much a being of flesh and blood can take before the body gives up.''

Charley was quiet for several moments as she mulled over Primer's words. There was truth in what the mouse had said, but the human had still felt justified to verbally fight the Sand- Raider boss.

'' I don't want you taking risks with those Raiders,'' Primer said softly.

She grasped Charley's shoulders a little tighter.

'' I wouldn't enjoy the idea of telling my uncle Modo that his good friend was killed because she was taking too many risks with her slavers. That is, if I'd ever get out of this wretched place.''

'' Wha… wait a… your Modo's niece?'' Charley gasped out, sitting up straight suddenly and startling the young mouse by grasping the Martian's light-grey furred shoulders tightly.

'' Yeah,'' Primer said softly, giving the human a tiny smile, '' I take it he didn't tell you about me.''

Charley shook her head, the motion barely noticed in the darkness of the cell; what little light was there, came from above where the metal-bars stood starkly against the red rock.

'' Those three wonderful mice never told me much about their families,'' she said softly,'' though otherwise we were close friends and could talk about almost anything else amongst each other. But I did get to see Modo's nephew, Rimfire, twice when he happened to come to Earth.''

'' Yeah, Rimfire's my always annoying twin Brother,'' Primer said with a chuckle, '' who never failed to drive me mad by his antics.''

'' Naw, Rimfire was just darling,'' Charley retorted with a grin of her own,'' and a perfect gentlemen like Modo.''

'' Heh! It seems like grandma's influence has been well carved into my brother.'' Primer said with a small laugh.'' Like it was intergrated into our uncle's everyday manners.''

'' You know, the last I heard from your Brother, he told me he was finally given his Freedom Fighter badge.'' Charley commented warmly.'' So he truly is following in his dear uncle's footsteps.''

She then paused for a moment before asking:'' Primer, will you tell me why you didn't tell me about being Modo's niece, earlier? What was the reason?''

'' Well, for one I had no idea that you even knew my uncle,'' Primer said,'' because I didn't dig into your memories that deeply. All I wanted to know at the time was your name and whether you were a good person.''

''Yeah, about digging into my mind...'' Charley began, then pausing for a short moment before continuing''... were you doing it at the time I let my feelings known when I found out about the cannibalism that had happened during the unplentiful times on Mars.''

The way Primer stiffened and held her breath was answer enough,

'' I do not like the thought of cannibalism.'' Charley said quietly.'' No matter how dire the situation had been on Mars at the time. No matter how scarce food and water had been back then, what those people did was wrong.''

Primer exhaled audibly and looked away, the fur on the back of her neck rising on end.

'' Humans on Earth have been known to have done it ,too.'' she said quietly. '' In the past, a tribe of Carib-people commited cannibalism. ''

'' In Earth's past history, yes.'' Charley answered somewhat stiffly.

Now she remembered that particular information, by the damn! Her stupidly work maniackle cousin was a archaelogy who had the notorius presence of someone wanting to talk about his line of work whenever possible; disregarding wether his findings truly interested the other person.

Many times the young mechanic had been left wondering if one day, on some family reunion, her cousin would eventually succeed in talking her ears off with words about ancient human societies.

'' What about the Andes flight disaster?!'' Primer pointed out quietly.'' It happened in the year 1972 so it is a somewhat resent history. The survivors turned to cannibalism for survival.''

'' Are you patronizing me for my own belief that being cannibal is wrong?'' Charley asked as she sat up straighter and moved to lay his back on the wall of the cell. She was hugging her arms tightly around herself.

'' No.'' Primer said, suddenly sounding tired.'' No I... don't like the idea of it much either. Still, if it had been the last possible resort the people had been able to turn to... ''

Primer paused with a pained expression,'' well damn! I just don't know what to think.''

''To tell you the truth,'' Charley said softly, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again,'' I don't know either, and it scares me.''

She looked around the cell they had been put into with some unease. A horrible thought had suddenly entered her mind that had to do with the less than bountiful food-supplies on Mars and the feeding of slaves within the hideout for the Sand-Raiders.

The thoughts made her swallow hard. She was already fearing the possibility of seeing the remains of a dead person, a former slave, somewhere in the dark corner.

Primer, who had seen her wandering expression, swallowed hard as she realized what the other was thinking and backed up to sit beside the human.

She pulled her knees up and rested her chin against them.

'' You okay?'' Charley asked softly when she felt the young mouse shivering violently beside her.

'' N-no.'' Primer whispered, sounding slightly choked. '' But I don't... don't...''

'' You don't wanna talk about it.'' Charley finished, pulling the young mouse towards her so that the other's head was resting against her shoulder.

She felt the young mouse nod.

'' Something happened here back years ago when I was first brought in as slave for the Sand-Raider boss,'' she whispered brokenly,'' that scared, and thinking what had occured still scares me. It will haunt me until the day I die. I could never forget what happened.''

Charley didn't know what she could possibly say to that, but she hugged the younger girl tightly against her as she uttered a small whimper.

'' I think I could guess fairly well what happened that scared her so much,'' Charley thought, holding the urge to shiver herself,'' and I don't wanna hear more of it today.''

**...**

**End of chapter 11**

**Author Note: I apologise for not having updated for a long while!**

**This is a short one but the next one will hopefully be longer.**

**...**


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